WALES SENIORS OPEN - FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD
(GB & Ire unless stated)
-5 B Smit (RSA) -1 D Merriman (Aus) Par R Drummond, B Lincoln, D Smyth, I Woosnam Selected others: +2 C Mason +3 G Brand +5 B Cameron
 Victory at the Wales Senior Open earned Smit a pay cheque of �75,000 |
South African Bertus Smit held off the challenge of home favourite Ian Woosnam to win a fairytale maiden title in the Wales Seniors Open at Royal Porthcawl. Smit, who is partially blind following a stroke in 2006, fired a final-round 69 to finish five under par, four clear of second-placed David Merriman. Australian Merriman ended a shot ahead of Woosnam in a pack of four on par. Victory sees Smith become the first Qualifying School graduate to win on the European Senior Tour in four years. "This is very emotional, unbelievable," he said. "It's unbelievable from what I went through having a stroke and then coming back from nowhere with a first round 74 to win here. "After the stroke I lost my confidence over the past two years. The last week I felt the swing was there and it kicked in. My putting was good. My irons were superb this week - I didn't miss many greens."  | 606: DEBATE |
Joint overnight leader Woosnam missed out on a home victory for the second consecutive year, 12 months after finishing runner up to Peter Mitchell at Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club. He finished alongside Ross Drummond, Bobby Lincoln and Des Smyth following a final-round 74 and he said: "I had three putts on the first hole and struggled all the way for the first three holes and it cost me. "I didn't play that well. It was disappointing in the end. After second last year I hope I'm not going to be fourth next year - I hope it goes the other way."
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