Smith not bothered by pressure, wins Encompass Championship

A black spider sped up the back of Jerry Smith's golf shirt as he stood following his opening tee shot, before a considerate caddie swatted the creepy crawler away.

Smith never flinched.

Nor did he all day Sunday in winning the Encompass Championship. Note his eagle-3 on the 16th hole while clinging to a one-shot lead. Never mind that the Champions Tour rookie was playing in his first final grouping since 2005. Smith was unaware of all things small and, apparently, large.

"The moment's not getting to him," a fan said after Smith hit another fairway on the back nine at North Shore Country Club in Glenview.

Nothing bugged Smith, so to speak, as he captured his first title on either the PGA or senior tour. He finished 3 shots better than runner-up David Frost, his 16-under total broke the tournament record, and his composure over three days earned him the largest paycheck ($285,000) of his golf career.

Smith's only titles before Sunday came in 1991 (Waterloo Open) and 1998 (Guam Open).

"I really can't put into words what it all means to me and how I've gotten here," Smith, who turned 51 in April, said moments after hugging his wife and two daughters on the 18th green. "It's obviously a journey. I've always said that. My wife and I have always preached that in our marriage and our lives. Today, it's just unbelievable."

Smith entered the day leading Mike Goodes by 3 strokes and five others by five. Smith bogeyed his first two holes, despite hitting the fairway both times, but never lost the lead.

Bart Bryant pulled even with Smith a birdie on No. 8. But Bryant, who played with Smith and Goodes, missed a 3-footer on No. 10 to drop a shot back. Bryant tied for fourth with Woody Austin (11 under). West Short Jr. (12 under) finished alone in third. Goodes (10 under) tied for sixth.

"Fortunately, I had a big lead to start the day," Smith said. "The guys I played with, Bart and Mike, were great. ... I was always in the lead or tied for the lead, so I think it helped."

Playing in the group ahead of Smith, Frost pulled even at 12 under with a birdie on No. 11. Smith then sank a birdie putt of his own on the same hole and birdied the 14th.

When Frost birdied the par-5 16th to pull within a stroke, drama mounted. Unaware of the leader board, Smith went for the green on the 16th and hit his second shot into the greenside bunker on the left.

It wasn't as bad as it might have appeared.

"I was glad it was on the uphill slope," Smith said. "Bunker play's not my forte, but I've worked a lot on it and did like what I saw when I walked up to it. I didn't think it was a real difficult shot, so I felt like I could make 4."

Smith holed out. And after the ball rolled softly in for his 3, he displayed a rare burst of emotion, raising and pumping his arms.

"I heard a roar when I walked up to (No.) 18," Frost said after his 4-under 68. "I didn't know what to think. But I hadn't watched the leader board all day. Then I realized it was Jerry."

Smith recovered from a 2-over-par 38 on the front to shoot a 4-under on the back nine. He parred the final two holes.

"I'm happy for Jerry," Frost said. "He's quite a journeyman, so there's room for everybody out here."

Smith tied for third in the European Tour's Swiss Seniors Open last week. But the Iowa native, who grew up about five hours away in Oskaloosa, knows winning the Encompass is completely different.

"It's just so surreal," he said. "This week's been a great week."