Smyth gets out of danger zone

A man redeemed, Des Smyth clutched his Odyssey broomhandle putter and doffed a white visor to the rain-soaked crowds in the stand by the 18th green. Smyth had just rolled in one of the most important 12-foot par putts of his life, a mere four paces that would take him a long way.

If he'd missed, Smyth would have slipped out of the top-15 finishers who earned an exemption into next year's British Open at Carnoustie. More importantly, though, the putt also doubled his money earnings for this season - "I've had a terrible year so far," he confessed - in his battle to retain his tour card.

Life's looking up. Without the buffer of his career money earnings to keep him playing competitively next season, Smyth fired a final round 71 for nine-over-par total of 289 that gave him a tie for 15th-place and prize money of £23,650.

Given that he'd won only £18,700 in 14 tournaments to languish in 141st place prior to Birkdale (yesterday's performance jumped him up to 85th), his sentiment was understandable. "This cheque is huge for me," he said. "It's terrific at my age to get an exemption for Carnoustie next year, but the most important thing is to keep my card. This is huge, it gets me well out of the danger zone (on the money list)."

Smyth could savour his best British Open finish since his tied-fourth placing at Royal Troon in 1982. In fact, since then, he'd only made two cuts in 12 championships until this year. "It was a real struggle," he stated of his final round effort which started unpromisingly with a bogey. He turned in three over par - after suffering back-to-back bogeys at the eighth and ninth holes, to be out to 11 over for the championship - but showed his mettle on the homeward run.

It wasn't such a good day for Philip Walton. "A shame," he said, "I never got into the rhythm of it at all. The first seven holes just sped by on me."

Having started the day on the same mark as Smyth, Walton shot a final round 76 for 14-over-par 294 which dropped him down to a disappointing tied-38th.

Meanwhile, Warrenpoint assistant Robert Giles - who was the only player from regional qualifying to make the weekend, having started out on his journey at Baltray two weeks ago - had a final round 78 for 307.