Oliver couldn't ask for anything more

There's never been a dull moment for Oliver Smith since he joined the professional ranks.

The second year Assistant at Ashton-on-Mersey Golf Club has just won the PGA North Assistants' Championship of Cheshire at High Legh Park with a four-under-par 67 featuring three birdies on each loop and a pair of bogeys.

Smith, a former bricklayer and flagger who also worked at a service station, quit the game for six years before picking up his clubs again.

Earlier in the season he claimed the Sue Wright Trophy at Helsby and his latest victory also earned him the order of merit title.

But he also posted what he described as a "crazy" score card containing a one, a nine and an 11 and five birdies during qualifying for the assistants'

championship!

"I've had an up-and-down year but I feel I've learned a lot," said Smith.

"I've started to pick my way round courses and I didn't put my ball into any trouble yesterday at High Legh. I realised that I'd made mistakes in the past by attacking or hitting a driver instead of a four iron then wedge.

"I guess I'm just playing boring golf but the likes of David Shacklady and Phil Archer also do the same and that's why they win."

Smith has endured only one setback in his burgeoning career - he entered a PGA EuroPro Tour final qualifier at Frilford Heath but missed his tee time.

He explained: "I got to the club a day early, walked both courses, checked all the yardages, mapped all the greens then received a text message informing me of my tee-times. But my phone had a crack in the screen and what I read as a 9.30 tee-time should have been 9.10. I then faced a five-hour trip home!"