Golf: Smail gets results, not recognition

As a Waikato amateur, David Smail always seemed to be the reliable other player in the wings while Michael Long, Steve Alker and Phil Tataurangi enjoyed centre stage.

In the professional ranks, the pattern continued with the others enjoying success in the United States, while Smail competed for much of the year in the relative obscurity of the Japanese tour.

His victory in the New Zealand Open at The Grange in 2001 reminded everyone back home of his talent, and his continued good form should have cemented his reputation.

But when the 34-year-old finished second equal in the Japan Open last weekend, the news hardly made the big type in the newspapers - and then the focus was on the four-over-par final round, which cost him victory.

Smail deserves better. He is now ranked 145th in the world, with Michael Campbell at 74th the only Kiwi ahead of him. Craig Perks comes next at 269th.

This year in 16 events on the Japanese tour he has won 35,567,866 ($474,462) to rank 18th, with four top-10 finishes including two second placings. He has missed only one cut.

He finished equal third in the New Zealand Open at The Grange in January and lies eighth on the Australasian money list with A$139,063 ($147,337).

Smail turned pro in 1992, found a sponsor and headed from his Hamilton home to Japan, following in the footsteps of his wife, Sheree (Higgens), who had won a professional tournament there during her career. Since his debut, he has won twice and earned 299,114,687 in prize money.


Back in 2001, Smail held centre stage on world television with some of the big names of the game when he and Campbell came within a shot of winning the World Cup in Japan. They lost a four-way playoff with the United States, Denmark and South Africa.

Ernie Els and Retief Goosen won the playoff after New Zealand and the US (represented by Tiger Woods and David Duval), dropped out at the first extra hole.

Smail will be back at the World Cup next month with Perks as his partner when the tournament is staged in Seville, Spain.

Hundreds of golfers with dreams of playing for the millions of dollars at stake on the United States PGA tour have begun their quest this week for the prized tour card, which opens the door.

The first round of qualifying involves a dozen venues over two weeks, mostly in the southern part of the country.

This week Aucklander Brad Heaven, who has already survived the first round of qualifying for the European tour, is entered at Heron Bay in Florida. Christchurch's Eddie Lee is at La Quinta, California.

Next week Manawatu left-hander Tim Wilkinson will hope to progress from a group in Rio Rico, Arizona.

The second round will be played at six courses from November 10.

Meanwhile, Christchurch amateur John Williamson has joined a similar scrum chasing a place on the US Seniors tour. The first elimination is next week. Only 15 cards are at stake at the end of the process.