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Justin Walters: Image Credit - Sunshine Tour Images

MORE than a decade since his last Sunshine Tour victory, Justin Walters said it was a nice feeling to be back on home soil after winning the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Boardwalk at Humewood Golf Club in South Africa on Friday.

Friday’s triumph was his first in 15 years as he secured a hard-fought one-shot victory over Daniel van Tonder and Jacques Blaauw.

Speaking after his memorable victory, Walters said he enjoys playing on the Sunshine Tour, where it all started for him. “It was nice to be back home. I’m normally campaigning overseas this time of year and my career has taken a different direction at the moment. I couldn’t have thought of a better place to come down and support my home Tour. “This is where it all started for me, and it’s been great to be able to regather some of the momentum that I had in the past. It’s friendly faces, friends, golf courses, food, weather – the Sunshine Tour is just a fun place to play golf,” said Walters (via Sunshine Tour). Walters finished the tournament on 15-under-par 201. He opened the tournament with a brilliant seven-under-par 65, leaving him one shot off the lead held by Kyle De Beer, who carded an opening bogey-free 64. On moving day, Walters surged to the top of the leaderboard following a near-flawless eight-under-par 64. He picked up nine birdies and dropped a single shot at the third hole. Going into the final round holding a four-stroke lead over Blaauw and Jack Davidson, Walters closed with a level-par 72, enough to see him claim the title. Walters endured a difficult front nine, making three bogeys at the fifth, sixth and eighth holes for an outward 38. After the turn, he recovered with three birdies at the 11th, 15th and 16th holes for an inward 34. With Van Tonder and Blaauw finishing tied for second on 14-under-par 202, Davidson finished fourth on 13-under-par 203.

For his victory, Walters earned 380.40 Order of Merit points, while the second-placed duo received 220.68 points each.