Four days before the Volvo Champions at Fancourt, Branden Grace was contemplating watching it on television.

But victory in the Joburg Open gave him an invitation to join the European Tour’s elite and just one week later he was holding aloft the trophy that signalled his arrival as a champion of champions.

What tenacity and calmness Branden showed by not only beating an extra strong field but also two of his boyhood heroes and major champions in a play off.

Ernie Els set the number at 12 under and was quickly joined by his lifetime rival Retief Goosen while Branden, playing in the final group, joined them later after narrowly missing a putt to win..

It took just one hole to determine the winner as both Ernie and Retief failed to birdie the par five while Branden reached the green in two and two-putted for a second unbelievable win inside a week,

Other major champions threatened thoughout the final round, but Masters champion Charl Schwartzel had to settle for fifth two shots back while close friend Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Champion, was undone by a quadruple bogey on the 14th before finishing strongly to end the day seventh.

ISM players also occupied three more places in the top 20 with David Horsey finishing just ahead of both Darren Clarke and Simon Dyson.

So the first three tournaments of the 2012 season have all gone our way and hopefully that run continues in Abu Dhabi this week.

Congratulations must also go to Sharmila Nicollet, who also secured victory of a kind in a play-off.  The 20-year-old Indian recorded a birdie at the third extra hole at La Manga to beat five others for the final Qualifying School card for this year’s Ladies European Tour.   Much more will be heard and seen of Sharmila in what promises to be a fine future.