Miller rolled in another birdie on No. 8 to wrap up a front-nine score of 32. He stayed hot with his second eagle on No. 11, rolling in a near 40-foot putt from the fringe. But Smith responded again with two birdies over his next three holes to keep his three-stroke lead safe.  

Miller’s first mistake of the day came on the par-3 16th hole, where his charge to catch the leader had all but ended with a bogey. With a tap-in par from Smith, he was looking at a four-stroke lead with two holes to play that would eventually lead to his victory.  

“I was trying to shoot the low round each day,” said Smith. “I didn’t know about the record but it's exciting to hear I was so close to it.” 

Smith tends to rely on his driver, but his putting came together this week to help him clinch a final-round score of 3-under with four birdies. He managed to stay consistent through the back nine and closed out his victorious round with four consecutive pars. 

Smith rolled in six birdies on the par 5’s over his three days. His strategy for the reachable par 5’s was nothing new to him. 

“Knowing the golf course was a big advantage. So, as soon as I knew where to hit it, it was just a matter of trying to find out if I can make that shot,” said Smith. 

Familiarity with the course assisted Smith to finish out his four-stroke lead heading into the final round. Knowledge like knowing which way the wind tends to blow and the best spot in the fairway gave him an ample chance at making birdies and going low. 

Smith is now chasing his next win as he approaches a qualifier U.S. Senior Amateur Championship and other events in Northern California.