As Al Hamra Golf Club prepares for hosting duties once again with this week’s Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge, the winner of last year’s inaugural staging of the tournament is enjoying the view from the highest stages in the world game.
Jordan Smith arrived in the UAE last year having already made quite an impression in his rookie campaign on the European Challenge Tour, winning the second tournament of the season in Egypt and stringing together consistent performances all year to close in on the top spot in the Rankings.
The Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge is the penultimate event on the Road to Oman, so Smith’s victory 12 months ago could not have been more timely, guaranteeing him a European Tour card for this season and all-but securing him the Number One status – he would cement this at the following week’s NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.
The Englishman’s story was already remarkable given that just one year earlier he had topped the Order of Merit for the EuroPro Tour, one of the satellite tours that feeds into the Challenge Tour – his rapid rise through the ranks certainly caught the eye.
What is even more impressive is how that story has continued since he graduated. Almost immediately, the 24 year old gave notice of his abilities, going toe-to-toe with Rory McIlroy in the final group on Sunday at the BMW SA Open in January, ultimately missing out on a play-off by one shot – a third place finish was a sign of things to come.
Two weeks later, another top ten followed at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – Smith did not miss a cut in 2017 until the end of April, taking his Challenge Tour consistency to the new-found heights of the Race to Dubai.
The ultimate breakthrough would come in July at the Porsche European Open, where Smith clinched a maiden European Tour title in dramatic fashion, overcoming Alexander Levy in a play-off to win in Germany.
A fortnight later, a Major Championship debut followed, and in some style – Smith proved just as comfortable when competing against the world’s very best at the US PGA Championship, contending all tournament and ultimately finishing in a tie for ninth place.
Now, instead of packing his bags for a return to Ras Al Khaimah, Smith is preparing to make his WGC debut in this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions before trying to improve on his current ranking of 19th in the Race to Dubai in the final three Rolex Series events of the year, culminating back in the UAE at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
