IRISH EYES SMILING AT VALENCIA SMYTH HOLDS OFF MCNULTY ON `GREAT DAY' FOR IRELAND.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The traditional St. Patrick's Day celebration got a four-day jump-start Sunday, with first-time PGA Tour and Champions Tour victories by Irishmen at both ends of the country.

Less than an hour after Padraig Harrington won a playoff at the Honda Classic in Florida, it came down to two Irish players at the SBC Classic at Valencia Country Club.

Des Smyth wound up on top by a stroke after Mark McNulty, playing in the final group, just missed a birdie putt from 20 feet, 3 inches on the tournament's final hole.

Smyth, the oldest player to win on the European PGA Tour, finished 71-72-68-211 to finish a stroke ahead of McNulty (72-66-74) and D.A. Weibring (71-69-72).

``I'm very disappointed,'' said Zimbabwe-born McNulty, who became an Irish citizen two years ago. ``But if you're going to be philosophical, I guess if I was going to be beaten by anybody, I can only be too pleased that I was beaten by my fellow countryman and good friend. He needed this.''

Smyth, a 29-year European Tour player whose best senior-tour finish was a second in last year's Ace Group Classic, started Sunday's final round six shots off the lead, then passed eight players with a closing round that included five birdies on his last 12 holes.

``This is a big deal to me, very exciting - wow!'' said Smyth, who said the victory meant more than the $232,500 he earned, especially since he thought he would have to shoot much lower Sunday to have a chance.

``I felt about a 66 or 65 might do it,'' he said. ``I didn't feel a 68 was going to be low enough to win, but I'm really thrilled it did.''

Smyth was more thrilled when he found out that countryman Harrington had won his first PGA Tour event Sunday.

``It's a great day for the Irish,'' said Smyth, who was happy but not too surprised at Harrington's victory.

``Nothing surprises me, quite frankly, with Padraig,'' Smyth said. ``I know how good he is, and he's making great strides to get into that top five (in the world rankings). ... We're very hopeful in Ireland that he can be our first major winner since a gentleman called Fred Daly.''

Daly won the British Open in 1947.

``That's way back there,'' said Smyth, who also was way back there at the start of Sunday's play, when he trailed Keith Fergus, McNulty, Gary McCord, Weibring, Mike Reid and Isao Aoki.

Before the round finished, Smyth also trailed Don Pooley and Craig Stadler, the 2004 senior-tour Player of the Year who birdied four of his first six holes and was one of five players to hold or share the lead Sunday.

Stadler (69) faded with three bogeys in his final five holes and finished fourth at 213. Weibring also had a chance to tie Smyth, but he missed a birdie bid from 15 feet, 3 inches on his final hole.

McCord (73) tied Stadler for fourth. Reid (73) and Fergus (77) shared sixth at 214. Pooley (73), a shot off the lead after nine holes Sunday, fell to a tie for 10th. Aoki (76), the first-round leader at 69, tied for 14th.

``I feel like I stole it a little bit,'' said Smyth, who won by staying steadiest on a tough course while his closest pursuers played well but missed crucial putts.

``I didn't hit any bad shots,'' McNulty said. ``This is the crazy thing about this game.''

Weibring felt as good about his effort: ``A really solid round, a disappointing finish. ... When I hit that putt on 18, I hit it good, just a little too fast.''

Smyth gave part of the credit for his victory to Valencia - because it played so tough. That's the kind of course he likes best, since he regards himself as a better ball-striker than a putter.

``This is one of the more difficult courses we play, and it was set up like a major championship course,'' he said after Valencia held the field to a tournament average of 74.260, second-highest in the event's history. ``The course was set up very difficult, and I'm very happy about that.''

Dave Shelburne, [phone]

dave.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Irishman Des Smyth tees off on the second hole Sunday's in the final round of the SBC Classic.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

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