WILTSHIRE golfer Jordan Smith believes it is ‘definitely possible’ for him to walk away as champion at this week’s BMW PGA Championship despite entering the flagship European Tour event in largely underwhelming form, writes JONATHAN LEIGHFIELD.

Derry Hill man Smith enjoyed a reasonably successful first half of the season – despite not winning a tournament – which featured four top-10 finishes and three more placings inside the top 20.

But since his tied-third finish at the BMW International Open in Germany at the end of June, the 26-year-old has failed to make the cut in his previous five events and as a result, Smith has slipped down to 58th place in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Despite a clear lack of form, the Wiltshire golfer says he will take inspiration from the likes of Shane Lowry – the man who lifted this year’s Open Championship despite entering the tournament as a rank outsider – as he hunts a first victory on Tour since winning the Porsche European Open in July 2017.

Ahead of Thursday’s first round at Wentworth, Smith said: “The last month or so hasn’t been great for me form-wise, but I’ve been working hard with my coach and things are looking up. I’m feeling good and swinging it nicely now.

“Even though the last few results don’t show that, I’m feeling good within myself and I definitely think it is possible for me to win, for sure.

“You see guys finish last or not make the cut one week and then the next, they go on and win. You see that time and time again, so there’s always hope.

“I know the last month or so, I haven’t been playing my best, but now I’m feeling a lot better and a win is definitely on the cards, that’s for sure.”

If Smith is to make a sudden return to form at the final event on English soil this season, he will have to drastically improve on his previous two appearances at the tournament.

His debut in 2017 produced a 40th-place finish, while Smith failed to make the cut last season.

Playing alongside the winner of the 2019 BMW International, Andrea Pavan, and fellow Englishman Tom Lewis, Smith is excited to step out onto the prestigious Wentworth course for the third time in his career.

He said: “Tom (Lewis) has been playing well recently. He’s just got his PGA Tour card – and he’s an English guy too.

“I get on really well with him and his caddie, so it should be fun.

“All of the English guys are looking forward to this tournament. It’s the flagship European Tour event, so we all really look forward to it and I cant wait for the week to start.

“I really enjoy this course and it suits my game because you’ve got to be good with your long game.

“It’s quite tough off the tee to find fairways and into the greens, so that plays into my hands.”