Benjamin Follett-Smith pulled off his second win of the month on the Bushveld Tour when he held off a strong challenge from his pursuers at Benoni Country Club on Thursday to win at six-under-par 66.

The former Cape Town Open champion carded nines of 33 each, making three birdies on the front nine without dropping a shot, and four on his homeward nine with a single bogey coming on the par-four 13^th.

His closing birdie was enough to keep out a hard-charging Hayden Griffiths who eagled the 18^th to fall just one short of forcing a play-off. Andrew McLardy, Arno Pretorius and amateur Casey Jarvis shared third on four-under.

The man who turned professional just last week and won in his first outing in the paid ranks, Ryan van Velzen signed for a two-under 70 on his home course for seventh place, one behind Richie O’Donovan.

Follett-Smith and Griffiths were level-pegging all the way after the ninth. Follett-Smith pulled one ahead with a birdie on 10, and Griffiths surrendered another stroke with the only bogey of his round on the 11^th. Then the winner made his bogey on 13 to see the gap close to just one. They exchanged birdies on 14, and then Follett-Smith made birdie on 16.

When Follett-Smith made birdie on 18, he pulled three clear, and Griffiths’ eagle was not enough to force sudden-death.