Des Smyth to switch focus from US
to European Seniors Tour
FROM THE IRISH INDEPENDENT WEBSITE
By KARL McGINTY
Des Smyth has signed off on a six-year career on the United States Champions (Seniors) Tour which yielded two tournament victories and a whopping $4.4m, made him many new friends and even saved his life.
Fittingly, Smyth's American adventure came to an end in San Antonio on Sunday where he finished in a tie for 60th at the AT&T Championship.
During tournament week in the Texas city three years ago, Smyth decided to fill in some spare time by taking up the offer of a full medical check at the local hospital, and doctors discovered a life-threatening problem with his coronary arteries.
They operated the following day to correct it and Smyth walked away saying: "I feel I'm the luckiest man on earth."
Yet having lost his American Seniors Tour card in 78th place on the money list at the end of a frustrating season, the Drogheda man has decided his future now lies on the European Seniors Tour.
"It's been great but it's also been a tough six years," he said. "When I started, I was full of buzz and I did play awfully well for five years.
"I struggled at the end of last year and knew things were starting to drift on me and I never got it back," Smyth added. "This has been a disappointing year.
"I've lost my edge. I think I just ran out of steam with all the travelling -- eight trips over and back each season, that's 16 times across the Atlantic every year.
"I came over to the States to do three or four years and had five good years and one bad one; winning those two tournaments (in 2005) was a thrill and (my wife) Vicki and I have made new friends.
"The players are great over here, especially guys like myself who have been through the mill on tour and got a second chance," explained Smyth, who plans to make an occasional foray back to the US next year.
Yet his attention will now be focussed on the European seniors circuit and he tees it up in their season-ending Oki-Castellon Tour Championship in Valencia next week.
to European Seniors Tour
FROM THE IRISH INDEPENDENT WEBSITE
By KARL McGINTY
Des Smyth has signed off on a six-year career on the United States Champions (Seniors) Tour which yielded two tournament victories and a whopping $4.4m, made him many new friends and even saved his life.
Fittingly, Smyth's American adventure came to an end in San Antonio on Sunday where he finished in a tie for 60th at the AT&T Championship.
During tournament week in the Texas city three years ago, Smyth decided to fill in some spare time by taking up the offer of a full medical check at the local hospital, and doctors discovered a life-threatening problem with his coronary arteries.
They operated the following day to correct it and Smyth walked away saying: "I feel I'm the luckiest man on earth."
Yet having lost his American Seniors Tour card in 78th place on the money list at the end of a frustrating season, the Drogheda man has decided his future now lies on the European Seniors Tour.
"It's been great but it's also been a tough six years," he said. "When I started, I was full of buzz and I did play awfully well for five years.
"I struggled at the end of last year and knew things were starting to drift on me and I never got it back," Smyth added. "This has been a disappointing year.
"I've lost my edge. I think I just ran out of steam with all the travelling -- eight trips over and back each season, that's 16 times across the Atlantic every year.
"I came over to the States to do three or four years and had five good years and one bad one; winning those two tournaments (in 2005) was a thrill and (my wife) Vicki and I have made new friends.
"The players are great over here, especially guys like myself who have been through the mill on tour and got a second chance," explained Smyth, who plans to make an occasional foray back to the US next year.
Yet his attention will now be focussed on the European seniors circuit and he tees it up in their season-ending Oki-Castellon Tour Championship in Valencia next week.
Labels: Pro seniors
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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