JORDAN Smith has an extra spring in his step after he secured the first victory of his professional career late last week.

The 22-year-old, from Derry Hill, enjoyed his watershed moment at the PDC Open, a EuroPro Tour event at Chart Hills Golf Club in Ashford, Kent, topping the leaderboard by three shots and securing himself £10,000 in prize money.

Smith carded two four-under-par rounds of 68 before improving even further on the final day of play last Friday to seal victory with a six-under round of 66.

The 2013 Walker Cup player’s amateur highlight was success at the Brabazon Trophy in the same year and he moved over to the paid ranks last October.

Smith, who plays out of Bowood, is currently in action in another EuroPro competition, the Cobra Puma Open at the Carrick, on Loch Lomond, in Scotland, and hopes to build on his landmark triumph.

“It was really, really good. It was an awesome few days,” Smith said.

“It was probably the best I’ve played all year. I had a decent few days and the course reminded me a little bit of my home course, Bowood.

“I’ve been making sure that I come home and work with my coach Simon Shanks for a few hours every week before competitions, so I went into it really confident.

“I holed some lovely putts. I knew the score when I saw the scoreboard after the back nine (on the final day) but I carried on doing what I was doing and that was enough.

“To know that I had to put in a good round and I did, I am very happy with that. It shows that my game is progressing in the right way and I am able to compete at that level.’’ He added: “I’m going to be doing most of the EuroPro events and in September, I’m going to M2M Open in Russia, the same European Tour event that I competed in last year as an amateur.

“I’m looking forward to that one but it’s at a different course this year (Skolkovo golf club).”

Smith’s victory moved him up to eighth on the Race To Desert Springs - the EuroPro Tour’s Order of Merit.

He added: “It is tough getting over this hurdle of a first pro win so I am pleased I have been able to do it relatively early and I know I can push on for the rest of the season.

“Even before this week I was planning on playing the rest of the EuroPro Tour this season and the aim now is to get into that top five for a full Challenge Tour card for next summer.”