BEDFORD — The phrase "better late than never" doesn't work for Nathan Smith.

Best late than never does.

The 29-year-old North Hills resident and St. Jude Golf Club member arrived at Bedford Springs Resort too late Sunday to play a practice round and trailed West Penn Amateur golf tournament leader Jeffrey Vargas by five strokes entering the final round Tuesday.

That didn't stop him from winning the event, carding a 3-under-par 68 to take the 54-hole competition with a 5-under 208.

Smith won last year's West Penn Amateur as well.

"It means a lot to me to win this again because there's so many great golfers in our section,"Smith said.

Smith finished second at the Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island, carding a 66 during the final round, and didn't arrive in Bedford until Sunday night.

"It was too late to play a practice round, but I didn't go into the tournament totally blind," he said. "I was able to take a walk around and get a good look at the course.

"I got a feel for what I wanted to do."

Still, he entered Tuesday's round in third place, trailing Vargas by five strokes and Sean Brannan by one.

Vargas and Brannan fell out of contention during the final round, recording a 79 and an 80, respectively. Smith wound up winning by a five-stroke margin over Ronald DeNunzio and John Popeck.

"I felt good about the way I was playing going into that final round,"Smith said. "But the competition was tough, the wind was tough and the course was hard.

"Getting birdies on the first two holes was big for me. Between the group I was playing with and the group in front of us ... the thing turned into kind of a free-for-all."

When Smith birdied the 410-yard par-4 No. 12 hole, "I felt I'd be in good shape if I parred the rest of the holes.

"Still, you never know. I could have played great down the stretch and wound up losing by a stroke."

Smith had 10 birdies, five bogeys and 39 pars for the tournament.

Jon Pratkanis of Butler tied for sixth with a 4-over 217.

Both are among a large field of golfers entered in the 104th West Penn Open Championship, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at Butler Country Club.

"That's going to be an interesting tournament,"Smith said. "Butler Country Club is a great golf course, one of the premier facilities in the region. Everyone wants to play there, and that's why there's such a large field."