Ryan van Velzen celebrated turning professional by firing a closing nine-under-par 63 on Friday to scythe through the upper echelons of the leaderboard and win the Bushveld Tour’s two-day event at Parkview Golf Club.

Van Velzen, who turned professional on Wednesday, started the second round two shots off the first-round pace, and he was still two behind Kyle Barker after the opening nine. But he quickly put pedal to the metal on the closing nine, making 29 coming home to end up a two-stroke winner over Barker for his maiden professional win just two days into his career.

“I decided to turn pro, because I just felt it was time,” said Van Velzen, who will continue to ply his trade from Benoni Country Club. “I don’t have membership of the Sunshine Tour yet, but I will be hoping I can get some invitations for the next few tournaments starting with the Limpopo Championship in two weeks.”

The Parkview birdie blitz for Van Velzen started on the ninth, immediately after he made his only bogey in the closing round on the par-four eighth. He regained that stroke immediately on the ninth, and then reeled off another five birdies in a row, effectively burying any challenge to his dominance. He underlined his superiority with two more birdies heading into the clubhouse on 16 and 18.

Barker did nothing wrong in defeat: He opened with an eagle, held things steady for the next five holes with pars, and then dropped a shot on the seventh. But birdies on eight and nine kept him two shots ahead of Van Velzen, who was about to launch his closing barrage. He made two more birdies of his own on the back nine, but that was never enough to stop the flying Van Velzen.

Two of the other overnight leader who slept on their opening 67, Slade Pickering and Dylan Naidoo, closed with 69 and 70 respectively to take up third and fourth, with Stephen Ferreira’s 69 giving him a share of fourth with Naidoo.