Second round leader Jaco van Zyl broke a three year title drought with a spirited challenge to capture the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final on a windy and wet day at St Francis Links.

After weeks of coming close, the overnight leader grinded his way to his second Sunshine Tour title and a final round 76 in the stormy conditions at the Links to beat Bradford Vaughan into the winner’s circle.

Van Zyl’s winning total of two-under-par 214 was one stroke better than Vaughan, who signed for a 72. The leading pair were also the only to players to complete the tournament with sub-par rounds.

Following a flurry of five top-10 finishes in his last seven starts, it was a case of ‘about time’ for the winner.

“I’ve been knocking on the door for a couple of weeks now, and I’ve been asking myself when the next victory is going to be. Today was obviously the day,” said the 2005 Platinum Classic winner.

“The second one is definitely a lot sweeter than the first.”

Van Zyl was three clear of first round leader Mark Murless at the start of the round and almost immediately upped the ante to six after Murless walked off the first with a triple bogey.

“After Mark’s triple at the first, it hit me again that this is the kind of course where something like that could happen to anyone, especially in the conditions out there today.

“It doesn’t take much to make a triple or double, so I stuck to playing safe. I didn’t take any unnecessary risks. I tried to just take it for shot and not to get ahead of myself.”

Murless rattled off three birdies before the turn to get back in the contest and Vaughan steadily brought himself into the fight, but after eight straight pars, Van Zyl looked a shoe-in for victory.

But even the mighty falls victim to the devilish Jack Nicklaus design.

A double bogey at the ninth and a bogey at the 10th left the Pretoria pro vulnerable and opened the door for Murless and Vaughan to challenge.

“I lost three shots right there, but that’s when you really have to stay calm and regroup,” said Van Zyl.

Murless, with a double and quadruple bogey, plunged out of the battle, limping home in 44.

Van Zyl dropped two more shots (13 and 15) but righted ship slightly with a birdie at the 16th with Vaughan staying in close proximity. The lanky Vanderbijlpark pro birdied the 18th and a possible play-off was on the cards, but Van Zyl ably holed for par to secure his victory.

“The Summer Swing is coming up and now I have to keep the good form going. I am aiming for a good summer,” said Van Zyl.

Jean Hugo, the points challenge leader, wrapped up the Vodacom Swing Challenge in the six-tournament Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour and Vodacom Championship and earned himself a handsome R100,000 cash bonus from the sponsor.

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