Great Southern guns — blasts from the past: Albany golf guru Wayne Smith spends 20 years on the pro circuit

The suspension of sport amid the coronavirus crisis has given the Advertiser the opportunity to look back at some of the region’s finest sporting talent from yesteryear. The fourth instalment of our Great Southern guns – blasts from the past series, has us looking back at Albany professional golfer Wayne Smith. From an early age, Albany’s Wayne Smith had a passion for playing golf, which led him to a successful career spanning two decades on the pro circuit. Born and raised in Albany, Smith was part of a sports-mad family and after only a couple of years on the fairways, he realised golf was for him. Smith went on to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best players and finished his career with eight international victories As a kid growing up he played football and tennis, but his decision to pick up a golf club at 13 ultimately paid off. Smith attended Albany Senior High School until Year 11 before moving to Perth to pursue his golfing dream. It didn’t take him long to get the hang of swinging a golf club, and by the time he was 17 he had become the best junior golfer in Australia and one of the best in the world. His first major achievement came as a 17-year-old as he represented his State, before being picked to represent Australia at the Junior Masters and Junior World Championship in the US. Several colleges recognised his talent and Smith became the first Australian golfer to be recruited into the US college system. In his four-year stint at the University of Georgia he earned All-American honours twice. His rise in the sport continued in 1983 after returning from the US to achieve a lifelong dream of winning the Australian Amateur Championship at the Commonwealth Golf Club. In 1984 Smith joined the professional circuit and went on to be named rookie of the year in Australia. This led to competitions across Asia, Europe and Japan. Along with his international victories, Smith won the Victorian PGA and the South Australian Open. In a rare feat, Smith won the Kuzaha Invitational and Setonaikai Open in back-to-back weeks in Japan, while he also claimed the Indonesian Open. Smith said even though he spent 20 years on the pro circuit, his most memorable moment in golf was winning the Australian Amateur Championship. “Winning the amateur championship was special,” Smith said. “Dad was my caddy so that was satisfying and it was the achievement of a lifetime goal. “It wasn’t about any money, I was able to prove myself. “On the pro circuit you get to enjoy the money more than your wins. “Winning twice in two weeks in Japan was very fulfilling. “You don’t win too many events in golf so to win two weeks in a row was amazing.” Reflecting on two decades on the international stage brings back wonderful memories for Smith. “Playing with and alongside major winners and greats like Greg Norman, David Graham, Ian Baker-Finch, Wayne Grady and Peter Senior was a wonderful experience,” he said. “To compete against these and the great Europeans of the time Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Bernhard Langer just added to how fortunate I was to spend 20 years in that environment.” The Australian Amateur Championship win was made even more special 25 years later when his daughter Kristie won the same event, and Smith was her caddy. They became the only father-daughter to win the event. “While on the pro circuit she won twice in America, won the NZ Open and a big event in Canberra,” Smith said. “She also won at Royal Adelaide where I won the South Australian Open, so that’s pretty special. “Kristie was on the professional circuit for five years before falling pregnant and now has three kids and a husband and has taken a break from the game.” Smith’s son Ryan also played golf competitively and made the junior State team in the same year he was part of the State under-18s football team. He never took up golf seriously and went on to play league football for East Perth in the WAFL. Smith started playing golf at 13 and would practise daily. “When I first started playing I was useless and it was frustrating because my family was good at all sports and I was sports-mad,” he said. “I was determined to become better so I practised every day. I used to wag school to practise. “I just loved the game and I gave up my childhood basically to pursue golf.” Smith retired in 2003 and started Vault, a sports management company, first managing WA PGA champion Kim Felton and later taking care of AFL players before moving into 24/7 gyms. After living in Margaret River for most of the past 20 years, the pull of grandchildren drew him and wife Kelli back to Perth. Smith is now the golf and sports manager at the The Vines Resort Golf and Country Club in the Swan Valley. Added to the privileges of playing golf for a living, Smith played on premier golf courses around the world, but playing on home soil still meant the most. “Augusta and St Andrews are incredible courses,” he said. “But it’s hard to go past Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and Royal Adelaide. “Kingston Heath in Melbourne would be my favourite, but Augusta National is very special. “Of course, Albany is always a special course, without a doubt. “Not just because I learnt to play there, but because it is a world-class course.” Smith’s father Norm was a well-known and respected footballer and was a captain, coach and life member at Royals Football Club, while his mother June was a squash player who dominated Albany for two decades.