DP World Tour : BMW Australian PGA Championship Results
Elvis Smylie showed nerves of steel to fend off the challenge of his golfing idol Cam Smith to claim his maiden DP World Tour title with a wire-to-wire victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
The 22-year-old only secured his first professional success at the Bowra & O'Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open last month on the PGA Tour of Australasia and continued his rich vein of form with a two-shot triumph at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
Smylie was one of two players to receive the Cameron Smith Scholarship in 2019 and he began Sunday's round alongside the three-time winner of this event in an all-Australian final group including Marc Leishman.
The Gold Coast native and Smith shared the lead after the second round, but the 150th Open Champion endured a roller coaster front nine which consisted of three birdies and four bogeys as Smylie reached the turn with a three-shot lead thanks to a blemish-free 32.
The son of four-time grand slam doubles champion Liz Smylie displayed calmness with a number clutch par putts down the stretch for a flawless 67 in his total of -14 finishing two clear of Smith.
"It's a dream come true," Smylie said. "I just said to Matt (Clayton, caddie) that I won't forget this day, you know, playing with Cam and Leish there.
"I looked up to these guys since I was a kid and just being in their presence and to compete against them for the title, I've learnt so much and just so grateful and so honoured right now.
"My short game was great, I definitely saved myself in that department. I was pretty average off the tee, but golf is a game of imperfection and today that was a sign of that.
"I just told myself to find a way of getting it around and doing my best, executing every shot as well as I can and my short game was great, so I gave that the full credit that it deserves.
"My mum and dad have been with me every step of the way. I saw my mum in the corner there, tearing up before I holed that last putt so everyone who has been on this journey with me they know how hard I've worked to be here and hopefully this is just the start of good things to come."
Anthony Quayle rolled in a 110 foot putt for his eighth birdie of the day to finish in third alongside Leishman, who mixed three birdies and a bogey, at -11 under.
David Micheluzzi was one shot further back -10 in solo fifth, while Cam Davis and Spaniard Angel Ayora were at -9
Former World Number One Jason Day led a group of seven players at-8 alongside fellow Australian Harrison Crowe, Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter, Austria's Lukas Nemecz, Englishman John Parry and New Zealand's Nick Voke.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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