TROON ace Michael Smyth is celebrating a hat-trick of triumphs in a prestigious event.

The Royal Troon member secured the Prestwick Links Championship, winning the Nickson Trophy for a third time on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.

He won the qualifying with two rounds of 67 at Prestwick St Cuthbert and St Nicholas.

Michael defeated Stephen King (Prestwick St Nicholas) in the last 16 of the matchplay at Prestwick before overcoming Craig Telfer and Peter Sloov (both Prestwick St Cuthbert) in the quarter-finals and semi-final respectively.

In the final Michael took on Scott Cairns of St Cuthert at Prestwick and was 2-up after two and missed a chance to increase his lead at the fourth. The holes were then halved up to the eighth and then at the ninth, Michael three-putted to make it just 1-up. Michael went further ahead with a birdie at the 13th and the 14th, 15th and 16th were halved. The Troon ace birdied the 17th to give him a 3&1 victory.

Michael said: "I was pleased with how I played through the week and it was great to win the event again."

The victory came just six days after Michael won the Hillhouse Cup competition over home course Royal Troon.

In testing conditions, Smyth negotiated the course, from the championship tees, a two-under-par score of 69 to win by four shots from his nearest challenger, Kilmarnock FC player and former Troon Links Championship finalist Rory McKenzie of Troon Welbeck.