Lali Stander

Centurion. - Merrick Bremner held his nerve over the closing stretch to seal his second title this season by one stroke at the R420,000 Telkom PGA Pro-Am and score one for the home team on Friday.

Two off the pace at the start of the day, Bremner held off a spirited challenge from fellow Blue Bulls Dean Lambert and Jaco van Zyl.

With Van Zyl and Lambert in the clubhouse at 15-under, the 22-year-old from Cullinan Golf Club holed a pressure 12-foot putt at the 18th for a birdie to deny the seasoned campaigners a shot at a play-off.

Bremner’s five-under-par 67 in bright sunshine at the Centurion Country Club in Pretoria saw him wrap up his second Sunshine Tour title with a 16-under 200 winning total.

Lambert, who twice held a share of the lead in the final round, finished with a 66 which was matched by Van Zyl to share second place, while defending champion Michiel Bothma signed for a 71 to finish alone in fourth on 14-under.

Garth Mulroy failed to reproduce the form that carried him to victory at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Western Cape seven days ago. The Sunshine Tour number two battled four dropped shots with four birdies for a scrappy 72 and a share of fifth spot at nine-under with Alex Haindl (70), Tyrone Ferreira (74) and Zimbabwe’s Marc Cayeux (69).

Overnight leader Bothma stayed clear of the field through the first four holes, but a bogey at the fifth opened the door to let in Van Zyl, Lambert and Bremner.

The lead changed hands frequently and ironically, although Bremner never held the outright lead, the young gun’s tenacity saw him gain the upper hand against the seasoned campaigners at the final hole.

Bremner birdied the first hole but immediately lost the advantage with a bogey at the second. He got back to 12-under with a second birdie at the fourth, dropped one at the sixth but atoned with another birdie at the seventh. A birdie at the eight saw him turn in 13-under, one shot behind Lambert and Van Zyl.

The reigning Lombard Insurance Classic champion cancelled a bogey at the 10th with his fifth birdie at the 11th and kicked his challenge into fifth gear and rallied with three birdies over the last four holes for his triumph.

"The first victory was sweet but this one is even sweeter," said Bremner, who earned R66,750 for his victory and launched to 34th on the Order of Merit.

"Not only do I qualify for the co-sanctioned events at the end of the year, but to win at home is really special and to win twice in one season is proof to me of just how far I have come this year.

Bremner had a lot of support to carry him to the finishing line. "Poveshnie (girlfriend) clocked up 54 holes and my gran and granddad walked with me on Thursday. Today my mom and dad also cheered me on. I couldn’t disappoint them, could I?"

Although Bremner is working on certain aspects of his game, he was still little surprised that the second win came so fast. "I am obviously working on the right things. The 63 in the first round was the key to the victory, but in the last two rounds I had to play really steady and not make too many mistakes."

"This victory has given me a clear vision of what I need to do going forward and I hope I can claim some more silverware before the end of the season." The Sunshine Tour’s next stop is the Suncoast Classic at the daunting layout of Durban Country Club from 11-13 September 2008.