Des Smyth hails Christy O'Connor Jnr after Dutch win

INSPIRED by a tip from his compatriot Christy O'Connor Jnr, Irishman Des Smyth captured his fourth European Senior Tour title in thrilling fashion with a sublime round of 65 at the Van Lanschot Senior Open in the Netherlands.

After finishing two strokes ahead of Australian Peter Fowler and American Tim Thelen thanks chiefly to a brace of eagles in a regal display at Royal Haagsche Golf and Country Club, Smyth paid tribute to O'Connor, who noticed that his friend's alignment was out of kilter.

That brief lesson on the range in Cologne last week helped transformed Smyth's game, and he vowed to reward O'Connor with several pints of Guinness.

Smyth started the day four strokes behind joint overnight leaders Fowler and Thelen, and fell even further adrift after a three-putt bogey on the second green. But after a birdie on the fourth hole there was no stopping him as he followed up with an eagle at the next before making another gain at the ninth. The second eagle of the day followed on the tenth hole, and when he rattled off successive birdies from the 13th Smyth found himself in the lead. A bogey on the 17th hole, where he missed a par putt from four feet, might have proved costly were it not for a birdie on the last, where he splashed out from the bunker to ten feet and rolled in the putt.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted, and I have to thank Christy for giving me a lesson last week. I'll be buying him a few pints of Guinness when next we meet, that's for sure!"

The Scottish duo of Gordon Brand Jnr and Sam Torrance finished in a tie for fourth place on two under par.