Travis Smyth has come up agonisingly one shot short of his maiden win in the (USD) $2 million The International Series England event at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort near Newcastle overnight.
Despite the disappointment, the runners-up finish secured the Shellharbour’s gun his biggest career payday, an impressive $USD 220,000, as well as a place in next week’s (USD) $25 million LIV International at the Centurian Club near London.
The final round was a pulsating affair Smyth, South African Justin Harding, Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent going toe to toe deep into the back nine. Smyth looked like he had grabbed the edge with a clutch birdie on the 16th, and coming down the last the tournament was anyone’s.
Vincent, however, was the eventual winner, calmly holing a two-metre putt for par on the last to claim his second win in as many weeks after defeating another Aussie, Anthony Quayle, on the Japan tour last weekend.
Smyth, who lost a playoff for the 2019 NSW Open to Victorian Josh Younger, previous best cheque on the Asian Tour was US$30,250 for finishing 7th at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea back in September 2018.
Final Scores – International Series England
Kim Closes with a Quiet Weekend At Pine Needles
On the other side of the Atlantic, Avondale’s Grace Kim carded rounds of 75 and 77 to finish in a tie for 63rd in her maiden US Women’s Open.
Western Australian Minjee Lee won her second Major Championship, walking away with a four-shot win after carding rounds of 67, 66, 67 and 71 for a four-round total of 13 under par 271.