Smyth looking forward to next victory

Laytown/Bettystown golfer Des Smyth is hoping to maintain an amazing record of winning tournaments when he turns 60 early in the new year. With eight European Tour wins and seven individual titles as a senior player, Smyth has won in every decade since he notched his first tour win in 1979. Last Sepember he claimed the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters at Woburn. A professional since 1974 Smyth has won at least one tournament in every decade since. "I've won in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s," he said. "But if I win next year I will have won in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s because I turn 60 in February. So if I get a win next year, that will keep me happy," he said. For years Smyth held the record as the oldest winner on the senior tour when he claimed the 2001 Madeira Islands Open in 2001. However, last weekend that record was beaten by Miguel Angel Jiménez who at 48 and 10 months won the Hong Kong Open defeating Smyth's record by 284 days.