The 36-year-old South African captured the biggest win of his eight years in the region Sunday when he beat former UAE PGA chief executive Steven Munro 4&3 in the final of the tour’s matchplay championship at The Els Club.

Smith took advantage of some unlucky breaks for Munro to take the final by the scruff of the neck at 3up by the turn and never relinquished his stranglehold, all after edging David Laing 1up in an altogether more intense semifinal earlier on Sunday.

The win earned the Address Montgomery Dubai tournament co-ordinator 300 points and saw him close the gap on UAE PGA Order of Merit (OOM) leader Stefan Wears-Taylor (Al Zorah) to 80 points ahead of the season-deciding UAE PGA (Strokeplay) Championship at Arabian Ranches on April 30-May 1. It means Smith has given himself a shot at overhauling Wears-Taylor, the UAE PGA Championship’s defending champion, for the circuit’s year-long title.

“It’s was a big win, a great day and now we’ve got the two-day [36-hole] tour championship next week so hopefully I might be able to do the double,” said Smith.

“That would be great and I’m captaining the Dubai Trophy team so it’s quite nice to go there in some form. It’s going to be tough again with all those youngsters coming through… [including runaway EGF OOM leader] Josh Hill…amazing!”

The UAE PGA Matchplay semi finalists (L to R) Steven Munro, Mike Bolt, Ryan Smith and David Laing.

Smith didn’t know much about Hill when they met him in a foursomes match at last year’s Dubai Trophy. But the now 14-year-old teen’s magical run of form, including course records at Trump and The Track Meydan Golf and a runaway victory in the Faldo Series Middle East Championship, has turned Hill into the hottest golfer in the land.

Related: Hill sets Track course record, waltzes to sensational sixth EGF title

“I remember playing him and Arjun [Gupta] in a foursomes match and thinking we can’t get beaten by two 12 year olds. Luckily we won but the juniors are just incredible now, fearless.”

Smith thought his matchplay run was over with Laing playing nicely in their semifinal as he ‘scrapped for pars”. But a couple of late birdies got Smith to the 18th all square and he pounced when Laing found a tough desert lie on the right of the closing hole and proceeded to thin his approach through the back, and then thin his chip shot.

Munro progressed to the final with a 2&1 victory of Mike Bolt (Trump Dubai).

Meanwhile, Shane Peacock recently claimed his his maiden UAE PGA victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates with a fine score of 71.

Peacock, right, receives the spoils from UAE PGA CEO Luke Plumb.

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The Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club head teaching pro overcame gusty winds at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to win the 15th event on the 2017-18 UAE PGA Tour on Monday with a two-over 74. It was his third victory in as many starts on the regional circuit after he notched back-to-back wins at Trump Dubai and Saadiyat Beach in December, the latter landing him a dream start in January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The 38-year-old Scot recorded rounds of  74-75 – and a lifetime of memories – in the European Tour event and has clearly picked up where he left off – Monday’s event in Abu Dhabi was his first since the Desert Swing opener and means he’s won three of the five UAE PGA events he’s entered this season.

Related: Tommy’s honour as Buchanan bows out of Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in style
Related: Buchanan living the dream at European Tour event

“I was a bit rusty out there today and had some new clubs in the bag as well and made a few errors. Having only played 36 holes since Abu Dhabi [January] certainly wasn’t ideal,” Buchanan told Golf Digest Middle East.

“But it was great to be back at Abu Dhabi, so many good memories. It’s always great to win and to beat your peers.”

Nice to win my 3rd @uaepga trophy today @ADGolfClub. New weapons from @Titleist were behaving beautifully On a very blustery day. Hope the form continues for the rest of the season. #uaepga pic.twitter.com/QLTSBKMd4i

— Tom Buchanan (@tompro66) March 12, 2018

Starting on the 10th, Buchanan got off to a heady start with birdie but doubled the 14th before a birdie on the par-5 18th saw him make the turn at even par. He then traded a bogey at the 3rd with a birdie at the 5th before a frustrating bogey-bogey finish.

“I bogeyed my last two holes and thought that would cost me but fortunately it was good enough,” he said. “I’ve only played five events this year and to win three is fantastic. Hopefully the form can continue and we [the pros] can’t wait for the Dubai Golf Trophy [matches against the best Emirates Golf Federation order of merit amateurs on May12-13].”

Buchanan’s 74 edged Jonathan Craddock (Emirates G.C.), former UAE PGA chief executive Steven Munro and Michael Major (Dubai Creek) into a share of second place after the trio signed for 76s on Monday.

It was Craddock’s second runner-up finish inside a week after he lost in a playoff (also involving current UAE PGA chief executive Luke Plumb) to Joe Way at Emirates Golf Club last week.

The next event on the UAE PGA Tour order of merit schedule is the Montgomerie Pro-Am on April 2.

Related: Creek pro Joe Way wins second UAE PGA title at The Faldo

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Making the most of his home club knowledge and some sublime ball striking on the Ajman layout’s par 5s, Wears-Taylor added a three-under 69 to his opening 70 to finish the UAE PGA Championship on five-under 139, three shots clear of Arabian Ranches’ Malcolm Young.

Tom Buchanan (Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club) produced a closing 71, one of just four sub-par rounds (from a possible 46) over the two days, to finish solo third on 146.

Defending UAE PGA champion Steven Munro needed to finish fourth to overhaul Mills (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) in the order of merit race where a player’s top-10 results across the season counted towards the final points standings. He was well placed in a share of fourth overnight following an opening 74 but the Abu Dhabi-based UAE PGA chief executive signed for 77 Tuesday to finish tied sixth, confirming Mills, on leave back in the UK, as the 2016-17 champion. Wears-Taylor climbed to third place overall behind Munro after capturing his fourth title in a mainly topsy, topsy-turvy campaign.

For the second day running, Wears-Taylor started his round with a bogey on Al Zorah’s par 4 1^st before settling his nerves with back-to-back pars on the far more menacing, water-guarded 2^nd and 3^rd holes.

The 20-year-old South African, a year through his PGA apprenticeship, then got into gear when he drained a long putt for eagle on the par 5 4^th before birdieing the 6^th, another par 5, to make the turn at -2.

Young remained his closest challenger throughout but the lanky South African’s length again paid dividends on a par 5 when he stuck a six iron to four feet on the 11^th and duly rolled in the eagle putt.

Stefan Wears-Taylor. Photo courtesy Darren King/Al Zorah GC

Another birdie saw him dip to -5 through 12 before a double on 13 and another dropped shot on 17 hinted at a last gasp wobble. But Wears-Taylor held his nerve and birdied the last to win in style – and for the second time in as many weeks after edging Gavin Sutherland in a playoff at Trump Dubai.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet but it’s a nice way to finish a weird season,” said Wears-Taylor.

“I started well [winning October’s Patrons Pro Am at DCGYC and at The Track, Meydan Golf the following month], in the middle I lost my way as my mind ran away a little bit thinking about what I could achieve, and then I’ve ended brilliantly. It’s the perfect way to finish before summer.”

Young kept it classy after a second successive near-run thing in a tournament he won in 2012.

“Always a great two days to end the tournament season in the UAE and my favourite event of the season. Sadly the bridesmaid poition for the second year running but delighted to finish runner-up to a very worthy winner in Stefan Wears-Taylor…great scoring today on the par 5s and impressive total -5 for the event,” Young said.

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Wears-Taylor looped the Troon Golf-managed, Nicklaus Design in Ajman in two-under 70 Monday, two strokes clear of Arabian Ranches’ Malcolm Young on a day when only two of the 23 starters could match or better par. Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club’s Shane Peacock was solo third on 73.

Munro, the UAE PGA’s Abu-Dhabi-based chief executive, started his title defence with a 74, a +2 score matched by Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Matthew Allanson.

It left Munro, who won the UAE PGA Matchplay title at Trump Dubai last week, in pole-position to capture the association’s season-long OOM race with leader Cennydd Mills (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) holidaying back in the UK and powerless in the final say.

Munro needs to finish fourth or better to overhaul Mills while JGE’s big-hitting Gavin Sutherland, who opened with a 75 for a share of sixth place, can overhaul Munro for second place on the OOM but only with victory and a dramatic reverse from Munro.

“I should have scored better but struggled to hole any putts of any significance today,” said Munro who mixed birdies on 4 and 6 with bogeys on the 2nd, 9th,14th and 15^th.

“I had lots of pars but I had a couple of disappointing late bogeys on 14 and 15 and then missed three really good opportunities on last three holes for birdies.

“Realistically I need to shoot no worse than par tomorrow to have a strong chance of winning the OOM. The course is fantastic and a good score is possible for sure.”

Munro predicts he’ll need at least a 68 Tuesday for a shot at repeat titles: “My aim is to still to retain the PGA Champs trophy tomorrow obviously”. But while he still has designs on a perfect finish to the OOM race, Wears-Taylor will take some beating if his recent form is any indication.

The tall 20-year-old South African, a pro shop assistant and trainee PGA Professional at Al Zorah, won his third event of the UAE PGA season at Trump Dubai late last month in a playoff over Sutherland and clearly knows how to navigate Al Zorah. It promises a fitting finale to the OOM race where a players top-10 placings count towards the points championship.

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Cashing-in on a simple set-up tweak and a Trump International Golf Club, Dubai layout that suits his eye, big-hitting Munro triumphed 3&2.

“Funnily enough, Rory gave me a lesson last week. I was starting to get a bit lax with my set-up which he fixed and now I’ve started to get comfortable with the change,” Munro said. “I’m sure he doesn’t regret it [the lesson], well maybe a little. But no, he’s a good lad.”

The victory means the UAE PGA’s two most prestigious trophies now have pride of place on the Munro mantelpiece, at least until Monday when the Abu Dhabi-based professional attempts to defend his Tour Championship title over two days and 36-holes of strokeplay at Al Zorah in Ajman.

“It’s great to win the matchplay for my first time. I wanted the double, not many have achieved that,” Munro said.

“I have managed to get the semis a couple of times only to be beaten by birdies and eagles and stuff on the last so to go the extra hurdle is very pleasing. I’ve been fortunate to play some good golf over the last year and I’m delighted to win both flagship events the UAE PGA has to offer.”

Munro enjoyed a walkover win earlier Tuesday when Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Thomas Henderson was forced to forfeit their semifinal with a finger injury.

Young was “two or three under par” when he ousted defending matchplay champion Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC) 3&2 in the other semifinal but was on the back foot early in the decider – three down through three – and couldn’t conjure up any of his morning magic.

He got it back to two down on the par 4 4^th, but a bogey five on the tough 7^th saw Munro stretch out to 3up. Young won the 10^th to reduce Munro’s buffer to two holes once again before the 11^th proved the pivotal hole of the final.

Rory Young and Steven Munro ahead of the final. Photos courtesy Luke Plump/Trump International GC, Dubai

Young opted for an iron off the tee on the par 4 and wedged to 12 feet. Munro took driver and watched his ball fall off the left edge of the driveable green, leaving a delicate chip which he was happy to leave just outside Young’s ball. He then holed the birdie putt, Young missed and was again three down. Munro birdied 14^th, gave that hole back with a poor tee shot on the 15^th but was soon shaking hands when he laser beamed a 111-yard approach to three inches on the 16^th.

“My approach in the final was to try and play solid golf, not make any mistakes and see if that forced Rory into mistakes. Going three up through three allowed me to concentrate on fairways and greens and Rory would be the first to admit he didn’t play his best in the final,” Munro said.

“It’s the fourth time I’ve played Trump since it opened. I like to give it a bit of a smack [off the tee] and with the fairways being quite generous, it gave me the chance to play to my strength. I’m pretty comfortable there and that made the final pretty uneventful.”

It was Munrio’s second win of the UAE PGA Tour season after a recent win at Arabian Ranches. With eight other second or T2 placings, Munro is second on the order of merit heading into next week’s Tour Championship.

However, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club professional Cennydd Mills has won five times this season and could yet take an unassailable lead into Al Zorah once the standings are recalculated.

Mills boosted his lead atop the standings with a 68 for second place in Monday’s penultimate strokeplay event at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, two shots adrift of hometown winner Tom Buchanan.

“Cen finished second at Al Ain so is probably too far ahead even though the Matchplay and the Tour Championship carry 50 percent extra points weighting. I’m probably too far behind but we’ll see.”

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But the Trump International Golf Club Dubai Senior Golf Instructor was shocked to find his signature on the three-over effort was good enough to earn a playoff at the Abu Dhabi PGA Open Monday.

The 28-year-old Englishman didn’t need a second invitation, a regulation par on Yas Links’ 1^st hole edging Rory Young in overtime after the Al Ghazal pro (clearly not unfamiliar with sand) tangled with both a fairway and greenside trap en-route to a bogey five.

“’I’m delighted to get off the mark,” Bolt told Golf Digest Middle East of the win. “I came second last week with a three-under 69 at Arabian Ranches so the game is starting to come together after some work on the range over the last few months.

“The goal has been to make the Dubai Trophy team [an end-of-season, Ryder Cup-style event against a team of Emirates GC and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club amateurs] and that looks likely now which is nice.”

Bolt, who hails from Bournemouth and joined Trump Dubai in December after a three-year stint at London’s Royal Wimbledon GC, wasn’t the only one to struggle with some tight pins at Yas Links despite the relatively benign conditions.

“My iron play was pretty solid but I couldn’t get my putter going…I had five straight birdie chances inside 10 feet [from 9-14] and only holed one of them,” he said.

“Then I dropped four shots in my last five holes including a double on 15 when I left it in a fairway bunker. I made what I’d call a ‘regulation bogey’ on 16, birdied 17 to get it back to two over but then three-putted 18 after I spun my approach off the green.

“I walked off the 18th green a little bit disappointed but when I spoke with [UAE PGA chief executive] Steven Munro and found out I’d made it into the playoff, it was a nice little surprise.”

Young, who had been in one of the first groups out and could never have imagined a 75 would get him into a playoff, was unlucky in sudden-death.

“Rory hit his drive into a fairway bunker and had about 80 yards into the green. He hit it straight over the flag into a back trap and got unlucky with a tough downhill lie. He did well to get it too about 20 feet but unfortunately didn’t make it. “

There are two further order-of-merit events – at Trump Dubai (April 18) and Al Ain (April 24) – before the 2016-17 season closes with the UAE PGA’s two flagship events: the UAE PGA Matchplay Championship finals at Trump on April 25 and the UAE PGA Championship at Al Zorah on May 1-2.

Defending champion Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC) will face Young (Al Ghazal) in the first of the matchplay semifinals while Munro is set to meet either David Gray (DG Golf) or Tom Henderson (Jumeirah Golf Estates) in the other.

Munro then defends his UAE PGA Championship (strokeplay) title over 36-holes at Al Zorah, Ajman’s mint-condition Nicklaus Design course.

The top 12 professionals on the final UAE OOM and four “captain’s picks” will then look to avenge their loss to the amateurs in the annual Dubai Golf Trophy on May 20-21.

Abu Dhabi PGA Open – Leading scores
75 – *Mike Bolt (Trump), Rory Young (Al Ghazal)
76 – Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC), Alex Nicholson (The Track, Meydan), Pruna Sharman (Pro Sports), Jaco Stander (Saadiyat Beach GC)
* Bolt won at the first extra hole

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