Adilson Da Silva may have missed out on the John Jacobs Trophy by the shortest of margins but he did pick up the Barry Lane Rookie of the Year Award on the Legends Tour, capping a truly fairytale season.

Despite a double-bogey seven on the closing hole of the Constance Belle Mare Plage course in the final round of the MCB Tour Championship-Mauritius, Da Silva still carded a three-under-par 69 to finish in a share of fourth. That made him runner-up to James Kingston on that tour’s Order of Merit.

The 50-year-old Brazilian’s rise has been meteoric: from securing an invitation to the Riegler and Partner Legends in Austria where he finished in a tie for third, to winning a maiden tour title at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Formby.

Tour legend Barry Lane was in Mauritius to personally hand the award over to the Brazilian who lives in KwaZulu-Natal in front of all his colleagues.

Da Silva’s win in August means he had already secured his full season exemption for 2023.