Who's who: Des Smyth

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Des Smyth

  • Name:

    Des Smyth
  • Country:

    Ireland
  • Born:

    Feb 12, 1953 in Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Drogehda, Ireland / County Louth GC
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1974

Roll of Honour

Multiple winner on the European, European Seniors and Champions Tours.

Golf course design

Limerick County; Seapoint

Did you know?

European Tour, European Senior Tour and Champions Tour player. The only player to win European Tour events in four different decades, with wins starting in 1979, five in the 1980s, one in 1993, and the last in 2001.

Top tournaments won by Des Smyth

2012
Europe
206 (-10)
€57,082
Travis Perkins

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

206 (-10)

Prize money

€57,082

Title sponsor

Travis Perkins

Played as the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters (Aug 31-Sept 2). Second-placed Peter Fowler (Aus) finished 1 shot behind Des Smyth (Ire), who recorded his second win in this event in three years, and last of his five wins on the Europeam Senior Tour. [Duke's course, Woburn GC, nr Milton Keynes, Bucks].

2011
Europe
210 (-6)
€37,500
Van Lanschot

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

210 (-6)

Prize money

€37,500

Title sponsor

Van Lanschot

Played as the Van Lanschot Senior Open (June 24-26). Second-placed Peter Fowler (Aus) and Tim Thelen (USA) finished 2 shots behind Smyth (Ire). [Koninklijke (Royal) Haagsche G&CC, Wassenaar, nr The Hague].

2010
Europe
206 (-10)
€47,853
Travis Perkins

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

206 (-10)

Prize money

€47,853

Title sponsor

Travis Perkins

Played as the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters (Sept 3-5). Second-placed Carl Mason (Eng) finished 3 shots behind Des Smyth (Ire). [Duke's course, Woburn GC, nr Milton Keynes, Bucks].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

210 (-6)

Prize money

€55,754

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Wentworth Senior Masters (Aug 3-5). Second-placed Bob Charles (NZ, and a sprightly 71 years old) finished 2 shots behind Smyth (Ire). [Edinburgh course, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey].

2005
Europe
206 (-10)
€59,169
Arcapita

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

206 (-10)

Prize money

€59,169

Title sponsor

Arcapita

Played as the Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship (Nov 10-12; European Senior Tour season-ending event). Second-placed and defending champion John Chillas (Scot) finished 2 shots behind 52-year-old Des Smyth (Ire), who recorded his first win on the Tour. [Montgomerie course, The Royal GC, Bahrain; at the time known as Riffa Views GC].

2005
America
Valencia CC, Calif.
211 (-5)
$232,500
SBC

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Venue

Valencia CC, Calif.

Score

211 (-5)

Prize money

$232,500

Title sponsor

SBC

Played as the SBC Classic (March 11-13). Second-placed D.A. Weibring (USA) and Mark McNulty (Zim/Ire) finished 1 shot behind first-time Champions Tour winner Smyth (Ire). [Valencia CC, nr Santa Clarita, California].

2005
America
208 (-8)
$382,000
Liberty Mutual

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

208 (-8)

Prize money

$382,000

Title sponsor

Liberty Mutual

Played as the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (April 22-24). Second-placed Tom Jenkins (USA) finished 2 shots behind Smyth (Ire). [Savannah Harbor Resort, Savannah, GA].

2001
Europe
270 (-18)
€91,660
x

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

270 (-18)

Prize money

€91,660

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Madeira Island Open (March 15-18). Second-placed John Bickerton (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Smyth (Ire), who recorded the last of his eight European Tour wins. [Santo da Serra GC, Machico, Madeira].

1993
Europe
272 (-16)
£66,660
x

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

272 (-16)

Prize money

£66,660

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Madrid Open (for the last time until 2001). Second-placed Domingo Hospital (Esp), Jose Rivero (Esp), Mark Roe (Eng) and Wayne Westner (RSA) finished 3 shots behind Smyth (Ire). [Real (Royal) Club de la Puerta de Hierro, Madrid].

1988
Europe
273 (-15)
£20,330
BNP

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Venue

La Moye

Score

273 (-15)

Prize money

£20,330

Title sponsor

BNP

Played as the BNP Jersey Open (Oct 20-23). Smyth (Ire) beat Roger Chapman (Eng) with a birdie at the fifth playoff hole. [La Moye GC, St Brelade, Jersey, Channel Islands].

1983
Europe
279 (-9)
£13,330
Sanyo

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

279 (-9)

Prize money

£13,330

Title sponsor

Sanyo

Played as the Sanyo Open (Oct 27-30). Second-placed Mark James (Eng) and Hugh Baiocchi (RSA) finished 1 shot behind Des Smyth (Ire), who recorded his fifth European Tour win. [Real (Royal) GC El Prat, Terrassa, Barcelona].

1981
Europe
282 (-6)
£7,000
Coral

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

282 (-6)

Prize money

£7,000

Title sponsor

Coral

Played as the Coral Classic (June 25-28). Second-placed Michael King (Eng), Bernhard Langer (Ger) and John O'Leary (Ire) finished 2 shots behind Smyth (Ire). [Royal Porthcawl GC, Mid Glamorgan, S Wales].

1980
Europe
Northumberland GC
276 (-12)
£7,000
Newcastle Brown

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Venue

Northumberland GC

Score

276 (-12)

Prize money

£7,000

Title sponsor

Newcastle Brown

Played as the first (and only) Newcastle Brown "900" Open (June 5-8). Second-placed Graham Burroughs (Eng), Greg Norman (Aus) and Neil Coles (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Des Smyth (Ire), who recorded his second European Tour win. [Northumberland GC, Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne].

1980
Europe
273 (-7)
£5,830
Cold Shield

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Score

273 (-7)

Prize money

£5,830

Title sponsor

Cold Shield

Played as the Cold Shield Greater Manchester Open (June 19-22). Smyth (Ire) beat Brian Waites (Eng) with a birdie at the sixth playoff hole. [Wilmslow GC, Mobberley, Knutsford, Cheshire].

1979
Europe
1 hole
£6,600
Sun Alliance

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Smyth, Des

Venue

Fulford

Score

1 hole

Prize money

£6,600

Title sponsor

Sun Alliance

Played as the Sun Alliance European Match Play Championship (Aug 2-5). Smyth (Ire) beat Nick Price (Zim) by 1 hole in the 18-hole final. Smyth knocked in a 10ft putt for a winning eagle three on the final green to clinch his first European Tour win. [Fulford GC, York, North Yorkshire].

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

Popular videos

You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.

Hamburger GC - Falkenstein, Germany

WINSTONgolf - Links course

Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)