Smith aims to turn hard work into victory at Gleneagles

Marc Smith will be hoping to emulate his Turnberry form when he plays in the Lombard Trophy final at Gleneagles.

Smith, left, of Staffordshire’s Newcastle under Lyme Golf Club, will partner PGA Professional David Cooper in the £43,600 event which is being played over the PGA Centenary Course at the famous Ryder Cup venue between September 1-2.

They made it to the final by winning their qualifying event at Coventry Golf Club in July.

And three handicapper Smith, an account manager working in the insurance industry, has a good track record when it comes to playing north of the border.

“Last year I was part of the Newcastle under Lyme team that won the National Golf Club Challenge final at Turnberry in support of Help for Heroes,” he explained.

“A group of us went up there for the event and we came out on top in difficult conditions.

“That was great for the club, but this will be something quite different.

“To play at the Ryder Cup venue is going to be unbelievable.”

Smith, from the Lightwood area of Stoke on Trent, has been working hard on his game and hopes he is rewarded with an impressive performance in Scotland.

“I’ve been putting a lot of practice in and working on my short game, I want to make sure I’m putting well.”

Smith has played golf for a number of clubs in the area, but says there is something special about Newcastle under Lyme.

“It’s been in existence for over 100 years - they had their centenary year in 2008,” he said.

“And it’s got a strong membership who are very loyal to the club.”

Cooper is relishing his first appearance in the final.

“I’ve tried to get there before so it’s great to finally make it,” he said.

“We did a good job on the day at Coventry and I know Marc’s been putting a lot of effort in before the final. He’s a good player who’s got his handicap down.

“Now we’re just looking forward to getting up there and representing the club where there’s going to be a lot of support for us.”