Jordan Smith sealed a maiden win on the European Challenge Tour with an emphatic wire-to-wire victory in the Red Sea Egyptian Challenge Presented by Hassan Allam Properties.
The Englishman held his nerve to shoot a three under par 69 to reach 18 under par overall, holding off various challenges on a day of fierce competition at Sokhna Golf Club.
The 23 year old, who gained his playing rights for the 2016 Road to Oman by topping the Order of Merit on the Euro Pro Tour last season, continued to pick up shots on a course where he scored well all week – making five gains to take his tally of birdies to 23 for the week.
And the Wiltshire-based player was over the moon after sealing the biggest victory of his career to date.
“I can’t quite get my head around it at the moment,” he said. “I can’t believe what’s just happened, I’m just speechless really, everything’s running through my mind and I’m trying to take it all in.
“I never really thought I could win on Challenge Tour this quickly, I’d hoped maybe for later in the year, but the last couple of weeks I’ve been hitting the ball the best I’ve ever hit it – that’s all down to my coach Simon.
“I could barely hold the putter on the 18th to be honest. It was nice having that two shot cushion coming down the last but it was all to play for down the stretch and I’m over the moon with how I managed to close it out.
“I hit a really nice rescue into the par three 16th to about a foot and a half and then birdied 17 and that sort of sealed it thankfully.
“Going wire to wire is physically and mentally draining so I’ve now got to get ready for next week in Spain – I might stay up and have a few drinks to celebrate but I’ve got an early bus tomorrow morning. I’ll enjoy this moment though.”
Smith was two shots clear of Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach, England’s Garrick Porteous and Austria’s Manuel Trappel, who all finished the week on 16 under par.
Amateur Champion Romain Langasque, who played in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National earlier this month, made a successful start to life as a professional golfer by finishing tied for third on 15 under par in his first tournament in paid ranks.
The 20 year old Frenchman, who finished second in the first event of the 2016 Road to Oman at the Barclays Kenya Open in Nairobi, was happy with his week and believes a first senior win is just around the corner.
“I am a very happy about how my game is,” he said. “Although I am disappointed not to win I am over all very pleased with how I have played this week.
“Today I played really well but I made a bogey on an easy par five where I played a perfect drive. I have hit the ball well off the tee all week and my putting was really good to – especially in my last two rounds.
“I have been in really good shape now for one or two months and I will just continue to play my game. Overall I am very pleased and it just means that I have to wait for my time but it will come.”
