Challenge Tour Member Tyrone Ferreira of South Africa finished his round in fine style to come from three shots behind and win his second Sunshine Tour title at the 2010 SAA Pro-Am Invitational, held at Randpark Golf Club.
Starting the day on three under par, Ferreira kept a clean card on the front nine, with his lone birdie coming on the par four fourth.
He reached the turn three strokes off the lead, and knew he needed to get his round going on the back nine to stand any chance of winning.
He did just that and recorded four more birdies, including two on the 17th and 18th holes, to win by one shot from overnight leader Brandon Pieters and Jaco van Zyl.
It was a hard-earned victory for Ferreira, especially as he had broken his ankle earlier in the year and had been forced to take a lengthy break in order to regain full fitness.
The break obviously worked, and in his fifth tournament back he claimed his second title on the Sunshine Tour.
“The win feels great,” said Ferreira. “I’m excited. I haven’t won for two years now since 2008, so it’s great to be back on winning form again.
“I’ve been working really hard with my coach and this week I could pull it all together. Today I didn’t hit the ball all that great, but I putted really well.”
Ferreira ended the 2007 season as South Africa’s leading amateur player, and was rewarded almost immediately on his conversion to the professional ranks with his first win at the 2008 Zambia Open.
His caddy has been with him since he turned professional, and Ferreira paid tribute to his contribution.
“He used to caddy for Richard Sterne so he knows what to do in these pressure situations, and he kept me cool and did everything well,” he said.
