Jordan Smith wins Portugal Masters, Jazz Janewattananond retains Tour card, heartbreak for Renato Paratore

ByAlex Livie

Updated 30/10/2022 at 21:55 GMT

The Portugal Masters went to Jordan Smith, who won a battle with Gavin Green to secure his first win on Tour since 2017. A new putter has made a big difference for Smith this week and he romped to a three-shot win. There was drama further down the field, with the battle on to secure playing rights for the 2023 season on the DP World Tour. Jazz Janewattananond was one of the lucky ones.

Jordan Smith produced a masterclass from tee to green to get the better of a duel with Gavin Green to win the Portugal Masters, while Jazz Janewattananond and Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez were able to breathe a sigh of relief after they retained their playing rights for next season.

Englishman Smith is one of the purest swingers of a golf club in the game, but suffered a series of near misses since his maiden win on the DP World Tour in 2017.

A cold putter has often been the Achilles heel for Smith, but everything clicked at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Club this week as he posted a tournament-record score of 30-under - albeit it will not count as it was preferred lies due to wet fairways.

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He began on a front foot with a blistering round of 62 and never took his foot off the gas at any stage.

Green proved a thorn in his side for large spells on Sunday, but he shook off the Malaysian around the turn and was able to ease to a three-shot success.

"I said I wouldn't do this," an emotional Smith said. "I am just really happy with how I have done this year.

"It has been really good, and I am really happy.

"There was a lot of pressure that I put on myself, and others put on me, and it is nice to finally get that second win."

A new putter and change of grip transformed Smith’s fortunes on the greens, and he showed the benefit of the change when rolling in a monster eagle putt on five.

Final Leaderboard

• 1. Jordan Smith, 30-under
• 2. Gavin Green, 27-under
• 3. Tapio Pulkkanen, 22-under
• 4. Eddie Pepperell, 21-under
• T5. Sebastian Heisele, 19-under
• T5. Hurley Long, 19-under
• 7. Joost Luiten, 18-under

Green stuck to Smith like a limpet on the front nine, as both went out in 31 shots.

Smith’s first moment of alarm came when he leaked a tee shot to the right on the 11th, one of the rare misses during the week, and found himself stymied in front a tree.

He took a penalty drop, composed himself and arrowed his approach to six feet and stroked in the putt for a par.

"That pitch, 100 yards or so from under that tree, to get up and down and get it to five foot was a massive part of the round," Smith said.

Green was in chase mode on the back nine, but his challenge came unstuck when his tee shot on the 14th found the water. It resulted in a bogey and ended his challenge, albeit at a score of 27-under which in most weeks would win tournaments by a distance.

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Renato Paratore holed a 65-foot putt on the final hole, but there was heartbreak for the Italian as he finished outside the magic 117th place and will now will have go to Qualifying School to get his card.

Sebastian Heisele came up short of victory at 19-under, but there were emotional scenes as he headed into retirement after a closing round of 69.

Eddie Pepperell came up short, but once again showed his turn may soon be near. It was an iron-play clinic from the Englishman, but he was the victim of a cold putter on Sunday as he missed a series of makeable putts.

He tossed his ball in the water in frustration after a birdie putt stayed above ground on the 12th. One hole later, the golfing gods were smiling on Pepperell as he holed a monster putt for a birdie during a round of 65 to get to 21-under.

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Jazz Janewattananond was one of the players who came into the event with his playing rights for next season in doubt. He scraped through to the weekend and was on the limit on the back nine on Sunday, but he produced one of his best swings of the year at the par-five 17th to arrow a fairway wood to 12 feet and he rolled in the eagle putt. It proved enough to secure his playing rights at 116 on the rankings.

Janewattananond's fellow Thai, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who spoke about the struggles of a lonely life on tour, required a second-placed finish to retain his playing rights. A slow start derailed him and he will head to Q School in a bid to get his card for next season after finishing at 13-under.

Garcia Rodriguez looked sure to relinquish his Tour card after missing the cut, but a series of scores from certain players fell into place and he finished right on the number at 117.

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