PASSION FOR SPORT - DES SMYTH: Paul Gallaghertalks to a legendary veteran of Irish golf who retains an enduring love of tennis, rugby and horseracing
A COUCH POTATO is the last way of describing evergreen Des Smyth, who at 56 years of age still has the hunger and desire to compete at the top senior level. However, after switching attentions from the US circuit to Europe, he maintains it has afforded more time to indulge in other pastimes such as tennis, horseracing and rugby – or all things sport for that matter.
Smyth is an enduring character who began life as a touring golf professional way back in 1974. As a mark of his consistency, work ethic and overall fitness, he has never missed a season since then. He remains the oldest winner on the European Tour when he secured the Madeira Island Open in 2001, aged 48 years 34 days.
Not long after his Santo de Serra win, attentions turned to the senior circuits and the lure of the lucrative PGA Champions Tour was inevitable for such an active competitor. It proved to be one heck of an Indian summer as the pension coffers were boosted to the tune of almost €2 million in prize money in little over five years (2003-2008).
His best season came in 2005 when he enjoyed two wins and pushed the season’s earnings to €832,000.
For all the trimmings in the land of the free, Smyth has always been a bit of a home-bird and somehow still managed to base himself back home in Louth when competing in the States. Three, four-week stints were interspersed with “down” weeks back home in Drogheda before the process started all over again.
These days life runs at a more sedate pace as Smyth focuses on the European Senior Tour where a smaller, more confined tournament schedule frees up spare time – at least in theory.
“I’m back competing in Europe and had a lovely year and finished 15th on the order of merit (€93,453),” said Smyth, who recorded three top-10 finishes. “I played reasonably well but it was sort of a funny year, sort of a breather year to be honest after making the transition back to Europe.
“I’m now very settled back home from my base near Drogheda and I definitely have more time on my hands. That said I still haven’t worked out how to get the full benefit out of it yet but I will do. It gives me more free time and I can start picking up on other interests again. I used to play a lot of tennis and always enjoy going horseracing.
“I haven’t been able to do much of either because of my commitments in the States in recent years,” he said, noting Laytown and Bettystown and the general Louth area as a more than ample playground to fuel his other sporting passions.
“We have the famous Laytown race meeting on the Bettystown strand each year, which I have been to countless times and I’m also quite near to Navan and Fairyhouse racecourses which I like going to.
“I was also at Cheltenham last year and had one or two winners,” added the 2006 Ryder Cup vice-captain, although he wouldn’t reveal his winning nags. “Put it this way I wouldn’t make a business out of it – just a bit of fun.”
Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club is also where Smyth honed his golfing skills in the early days. And, if rumours are to be believed, wagers on the club’s tennis courts were as common as they were on the fairways.
“Laytown (and Bettystown Golf Club) is where I first started playing my tennis all those years ago, and they still have a very fine tennis club too. It was something we all played as kids growing up around there. I played tennis, (Gaelic) football and golf, they were our three big sports back then,” added Smyth, who is Laytown’s club president in this, their centenary year.
“As a consequence (of those early years) I have a great interest in tennis and particularly the Wimbledon fortnight. When I was competing in America I really missed it, watching Wimbledon had become a tradition for me.
“I really enjoyed being home when the Lions Tour was on this year. I’m a big follower of rugby and watch a lot of matches on TV,” said Smyth, who was also at Croke Park for Ireland’s recent draw with Australia.
“These are the kind of sports you really miss out on when in the States because obviously they have their baseball and American football to focus on.”
Rather than gearing up for a new season in the States at the beginning of next year, Smyth’s European venture doesn’t begin in earnest until April but the competitive fires still burn bright. “I’m hoping next year is going to be a big move forward. I still have the hunger and I love competing and playing tournament golf, it’s in my blood,” he added. “But now in the off-season you might say I’ve become a bit of a couch-potato, one of those so-called experts who watches all this sport from the sofa.”
Couch potato? Hardly.
