IT EARNED him a place inside the world’s top 100, as well as a hefty pay cheque, but Jordan Smith reckons he may have garnered something even more important from his super show in South Africa at the weekend.

The Derry Hill player, 24, went toe to toe with four-time major champion and world number two Rory McIlroy in the final group on the last day of the BMW SA Open on Sunday, matching the Northern Irishman’s final-round 68 to finish in third place as McIlroy lost out in a play-off to England’s Graeme Storm.

In only his fifth European Tour event and third since becoming a member of the tour for 2017, Bowood’s Smith belied his big-time inexperience to jump 20 places to 93rd in the new world rankings, giving him a massive injection of confidence at an early point in the season.

While a bogey on the 17th hole prevented him joining McIlroy and Storm in the eventual play-off, Smith secured prize money of more than €70,000 - but the Wiltshire man believes another intangible benefit may prove the bigger prize.

“I do know now that I can compete with the world’s best,’’ he told the Gazette & Herald, as he prepared for this week’s tournament, the Abu Dhabi Championship in the United Arab Emirates.

“That always helps you when you are trying to get good results and it relaxes any nerves you might have.

“To play alongside someone I consider to be the best player in the world (McIlroy) and perform well gives me a lot of confidence. Hopefully it will be something I will have to get used to.

“There were thousands of people following us (on Sunday) so I feel like I’ve got a good bit of experience from playing in front of that sort of crowd.’’ He added: “I was happy with the whole week (in South Africa). I spent a few days in Dubai practising before I got out there and I was feeling pretty confident about my game going into the tournament.’’ Smith, coached at Bowood by Simon Shanks, has continued his form from last season, when he won twice on the Challenge Tour and was crowned their number one at the end of the year.

His progress into the world’s top 100 means invites for major championships, such as the Open and US PGA Championships later this summer, are realistic targets.

He said of his European Tour start: “I’m loving it so far and having a really good time. I’m carrying on the good golf I played last year and I hope that can continue for as long as possible.’’ Smith has a chance to make an impression on 2018 European Ryder Cup team captain Thomas Bjorn after being paired with the Dane for the opening two rounds in Abu Dhabi, the tournament getting under way today.

He will also play in Qatar and Dubai as part of the European Tour’s Middle East swing before his first short break of the season, having won the Challenge Tour’s Red Sea Egyptian Challenge and Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge in the region last year.