JORDAN Smith admits he didn’t expect to take another big step up the professional golf ladder in such a short space of time after registering his first victory on Europe’s second-tier Challenge Tour.

The 23-year-old, from Derry Hill, secured a wire-to-wire triumph at last week’s Red Sea Egyptian Challenge tournament, only his second event since earning a full place on the Tour - one step below the full European Tour - late last year.

Smith, who plays out of Bowood Golf & Country Club, shot a final round of 69 - three under par - to finish two shots ahead of Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach, England’s Garrick Porteous and Austria’s Manuel Trappe at Suez.

It continued a stellar few months for the former Walker Cup player, who secured his Challenge Tour place by winning the third-tier EuroPro Tour’s finals last autumn before registering wins on Portugal’s Algarve Tour while warming up for this season.

Last Saturday’s success was his biggest as a professional to date, earning him playing exemptions for the rest of the Challenge Tour schedule as well as opportunities on the full Tour.

More importantly, it thrust Smith to the forefront of the battle for a top 15 finish on the Tour’s Order of Merit, which would open the door to a place on the full European Tour next season.

“It’s all sunk in now and it’s a nice achievement to win a tournament I led from start to finish,’’ Smith told the Gazette & Herald.

“I didn’t really think I’d do it in my second tournament (on the Tour) and it has given me a bit of a buffer for the rest of the season now.’’ He added: “I played some really good golf and it has taken a bit of the pressure off. I can now concentrate on the rest of the season.’’ Despite a largely dominant victory - Smith held a two-shot lead throughout the four days - the former England amateur player admitted to some nerves as he closed in on victory “I could barely hold the putter on the 18th to be honest,’’ he added. “It was nice having that two-shot cushion coming down the last but it was all to play for down the stretch and I’m over the moon with how I managed to close it out.

“I hit a really nice rescue into the par-three 16th to about a foot-and-a-half and then birdied 17 and that sort of sealed it, thankfully.

“Going wire-to-wire is physically and mentally draining, so I’ve now got to get ready for Spain (the Challenge De Madrid, which started today).’’ Smith, who will also take in tournaments in Turkey and Italy before heading home for a break in mid-May, paid tribute to the work put in with his coach at Bowood, Simon Shanks, for his superb form.

“I never really thought I could win on Challenge Tour this quickly,’’ he added.

“I’d hoped maybe for later in the year but the last couple of weeks, I’ve been hitting the ball the best I’ve ever hit it – that’s all down to my coach Simon.

“We met up in Terminal Five at Heathrow (at the weekend) and he’s really happy and I’m happy with the way it’s going.’’