Pretoria golfer Jason Smith produced a grandstand finish to seal his second victory on the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour in style at Centurion Country Club last week.

The 25-year-old birdied the last two holes for a five-under-par 67 to win the 12th event of the series by one shot on eight-under 208.

Smith, a former GolfRSA National Squad member and SA Stroke Play champion, dominated the amateur circuit until he gained playing privileges for the Sunshine Tour in 2017.

“I lost my card at the end of my rookie season, but I punched my way back at Q-School. I was fighting too many demons – mental and with the swing – and lost my card again. On my third trip to Q-School I missed the top 30 by one shot, but got one of the 15 extra cards the Sunshine Tour issued and that gave me a new lease on life”, he summed up his short professional career shortly after the victory.

The card allows him to play the pre-qualifiers and he gets some starts on the winter tour, but the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour offers the top six ranked players at the end season a straight shot onto the Sunshine Tour with a much better ranking.

“That’s a huge lifeline and I want to make the most of it. I’ve got the two wins now, but there is still a lot of golf to be played before the wraps up. You can’t get complacent, but I’m pleased to be in a strong position after this win,” said Smith.

Smith picked up his first title at State Mines in June and a series of good results propelled him to second in the Road to Sunshine Tour rankings. The R10 500 pay-day at Centurion moved the Irene golfer within striking distance of Order of Merit leader Malcolm Mitchell.

“I’m so happy to get it done today. It feels good to get across the finish line again. I thank the Lord for blessing me with more than I deserve and giving me the ability to compete in this game. I am so grateful for my family, who have been so supportive. My dad, especially, who has been helping me work on a couple of things in the last few weeks,” Smith said.

According to the young golfer he felt comfortable over the clubs, although he didn’t think he had a chance to win until the last two holes.

Smith was four shots behind another local star, Albert Venter, at the start of the final round, but the 36-hole leader fell out of contention early with a trio of bogeys on the outward loop.

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