The Englishman went into the final round with a two-shot
lead and rarely looked like opening the door for the chasing pack on Sunday,
treating the crowds to a ball-striking masterclass as he made an eagle and six
birdies in a flawless 63 to finish the tournament on 30 under par.
Smith's wire-to-wire victory caps a superb 2022 season and
sees him move into the top ten on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership
with Rolex and return to the winner's circle for the first time since the 2017
Porsche European Open.
His winning total is one better than the DP World Tour
record, set by Ernie Els at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic, but due to
preferred lies this week Smith's tally does not go into the record books.
Gavin Green finished alone in second after closing with
a brilliant 64 to finish on 27 under par.
Green barely put a foot wrong all day, impressing with some
magnificent shots as he attempted to reel in Smith but in the end the
Englishman proved impossible to catch.
Tapio Pulkkanen
was five shots further back in third, one ahead of fourth-placed Eddie
Pepperell.
German duo Hurly
Long and Sebastian Heisele were tied for fifth on 19 under, with Heisele
heading into retirement on a high.
Everyone who came
into this event in the top 117 on the DP World Tour Rankings managed to stay
there to secure their cards for next season, with Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez
claiming the last spot despite missing the cut this week.
Renato Paratore came
agonisingly close to reaching the right side of the line but finished in 118th
spot despite a stunning 58-foot birdie on the last.
Uneventful start
After an
uneventful start, Smith made his first birdie of the day from seven feet to
prevent Green from joining him at the summit.
Smith then sent
his approach at the par-five fifth to 27 feet before rolling in the eagle putt
to re-establish the two-shot advantage he began the day with.
He gave himself
good birdie chances at the seventh and eighth but was unable to take them,
before picking up a shot at the ninth to head to the turn in 31.
Smith made it
back-to-back birdies from ten feet at the tenth but gave a glimmer of hope to
Green when he got into tree trouble off the 11th tee and had to take a drop.
However, he played
a stunning recovery shot to somehow escape from there with a par and avoid any
damage to his lead.
Smith had an
outside chance of getting to 29 under at the 12th but his 56-foot eagle putt
pulled up just short and he had to settle for a birdie there.
A birdie for Green
at the short 13th reduced Smith's lead to three shots but the Malaysian bogeyed
the 14th after finding the water, restoring Smith's four-stroke advantage.
Smith kept his
foot on the gas, converting his 15-foot birdie putt at the 15th to move five
clear with three holes to play.
He tapped in for a
birdie on the 17th after narrowly missing his eagle try before safely parring
the last.
“Over the moon”
Smith said:
"It’s just amazing. It’s been a long grind for those five seasons, just
pushing it out and finally getting over the line today. Over the moon.
"I knew that
today and every day I’d have to get off to fast starts and make sure I made
lots of birdies.
"I knew there
would be a lot of good scores out there and guys trying to catch me. Gavin was
trying to get there and he was getting closer and closer but I managed to hold
him off.
"It was a
little bit (like match play). When we got down the last five or six holes, it
got to that sort of stage. I knew he was four shots ahead of the guy in third
so it was just between us two.
"It’s nice
getting the first win but then it’s great knowing you can do it again. It’s
more down to the pressure I put on myself to get the win and now I’ve got my
second one we can push on for a couple more."