In the end, he made it look easy, but a first Sunshine Tour title in over six years for Jaco van Zyl was so sweet as he got home by two shots in the Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge at Selborne Park Golf Club.

Van Zyl carded a closing three-under-par 69 in the 54-hole event, having led by one from Hennie Otto overnight. In the end, it was two birdies in the closing four holes which got the job done for Van Zyl, bringing him his 15^th title on the tour. Otto closed with a two-under 70, with a bogey on 13 slowing his progress which had put him in front until that point.

Van Zyl made just one birdie on the front nine, and that came on the first hole, the opening par-five. Otto, on the other hand, drew level with Van Zyl with birdies on the third and the eighth. Otto, the 2011 South African Open champion, drew ahead by one with a birdie on the 10^th, but Van Zyl responded with a birdie on 12.

Then came Otto’s drop on 13, and things were level-pegging again. But Van Zyl looked as if he might falter when he dropped a shot on the par-four 14^th, and Otto was ahead again.

But Van Zyl was up to the task, and birdies on 15 and 17, while Otto was making par, gave him the kind of breathing space he needed to enjoy a regulation par on the final hole and savour a return to the winner’s circle.

In third place, Sean Bradley produced his best result on the Sunshine Tour with his closing 69. But for a double-bogey six on the 17^th, he was putting pressure on Van Zyl as he sat at 12-under-par for the tournament at that point. He managed to salvage third place on his own with a closing birdie, and was one clear of Pieter Moolman and Jaco Ahlers who shared fourth on 10-under.