Henry Smart conquered the wet and blustery conditions at Port Royal Golf Course on Saturday to be crowned Bermuda Open champion

The 36-year-old Englishman carded an even par 71 in the third and final round to finish two shots clear of the field with a combined five-under 208.

The tournament remained wide open after overnight leaders Smart and Peter Knade, Canadian Tyler Hull and Bermudian Michael Sims all made the turn with a share of the lead at four under.

Smart birdied the tenth hole to distance himself from the pack and preserved his advantage as his nearest rivals fell off the pace.

“It’s quite surreal, I’m not going to lie,” an elated Smart told The Royal Gazette. “It was so tight with so many good players out there. I am just so excited and it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Smart’s round was not without luck as he survived a brush with disaster heading to the 17th green clinging to a one-shot advantage over Knade.

“On the seventeenth hole I pulled my tee shot left into the water and it bounced out of the water and onto the fairway,” he said. “I then hit it from the fairway and made birdie, and that is the difference. If that stays in the water I don’t win the championship and it’s a different story.”

In addition to pocketing $10,000 in prize money, the past Gosling’s International Invitational winner earned exemption to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal next month.

“This will be my first PGA Tour event and it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Smart said.

“I’ve done tours out in Europe and obviously it’s very hard to make it on to the PGA Tour.”

PGA Tour Americas player Knade shot 73 to finish runner-up at three-under 210.

“There were a couple of putts that could’ve gone my way that didn’t,” he said. “I got a lot of good breaks, too, so it all evens itself out.

“It’s such a fine line between winning and coming in second, so you can’t really put your finger on any one thing in particular. You just hope that the next time it’s your week.”

Tournament debutant Hull, who started the final round one shot back, also shot 73 to round out the top three at two-under 211.

“First time playing this event and I am pretty pleased with how I played,” he said.

The 27-year-old professional kept pace with the leaders coming down the home stretch but saw his title hopes evaporate after making bogeys at 12 and 15 and a double at 13.

“I think I Iet the conditions get to me a little bit on the back nine,” Hull said.

“I definitely left a lot out there today. I think if a few more putts went my way I would’ve been right in the thick of things.”

Sims also came undone over the closing holes after carding three bogeys and a quadruple at the 18th green. He signed off with a 74 to finish tied for seventh with compatriot and fellow professional Kenny Leseur at two-over 215.

It was a cruel twist of fate for Sims, who played a bogey-free front nine at three-under to thrust himself in contention for honours.

“I played a lot of really good holes and had a couple of bad ones,” Sims said. “Such is life.”

Leseur and Sims were among five Bermudians securing top-ten finishes, including professional Daniel Augustus (ninth) and amateurs Oliver Betschart and Sebastian Collins, who finished tied for tenth.

Augustus (218) carded the low round of 70 along with Amateur Division winner Amory Davis (212) to end the 54 -hole tournament on a strong note.

“I just hit it so good I couldn’t get into trouble really,” said Augustus, whose impressive round included five birdies.

“I figured if I shoot anything under par I would move up the leaderboard dramatically and I did, so I am happy about that.”

Leseur, winner of the recent Local Qualifier for the PGA Tour event, was three shots off the lead at the start of the round but was unable to make any inroads.

“Disappointed with how I ended the week, some of the dumb shots I hit,” he said.

“But it is golf and I showed myself what not to do next month in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, so definitely will be practising every day.”

Fellow qualifier Betschart (220), who finished tied for second in the amateur division with Collins (220), was happy to use the event as preparation for next month’s PGA Tour event.

“It was good preparation for the PGA Tour event,” he said.

“It was definitely challenging out there with all this wind we had. Everyone complained about it, but everyone had to play the same conditions.

“It was a solid performance. There was obviously a couple of mistakes but I think everyone had a little bit of trouble out there.

“Overall, pretty happy with it and just using it as preparation for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.”