Forget the well-worn ‘Amazing Grace’ headlines as the new headline should be .. “Grace Makes It Golf’s Big-5′

This is after South African Branden Grace’s back-to-back success in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

The 27-year old Grace produced a masterful display to win by two strokes with a 14-under par tally in continuing cold and windy conditions on the Doha Golf Club course.

“It’s great. I’m pretty much at a loss for words. It’s a big thing to come to a week defending. You’ve got a lot more pressure and a lot more things going on that week,” he said.

But to get the first proper defence under the belt is something great, and you know, something I’ve been dreaming of. You know, there’s no better place to do it than Qatar. This is really one of my biggest wins to date last year, and I think this is just going to push it up.”

Branden Grace now has right to join ‘Golf’s Big 5’

The win is Grace’s seventh European Tour success and a 10th of his pro career.

He also continued a victory theme for Springbok-born golfers who now have captured five victories in the Qatar capital.

Next for Grace is a first Major Championship victory and with his Qatar success coming after he was placed third in last year’s PGA Championship behind Australia’s Jason Day.

Grace is about a year younger than Day and just over a year older than McIlroy and it’s for this reason Grace has every good reason to claim membership of ‘Golf’s Big Five’.

“You know what, whatever you guys write is obviously what it’s going to be,” he said.  “You know, I don’t see myself being far off behind those guys. I think I’m knocking.  I think last year was a big year getting me in that right direction, being a young gun, putting myself in there in the major and things like that.

“A lot of people say, you know, you haven’t really achieved a lot until the day you win a major. I know that. I know that’s what it’s taken  Jason. He’s always been a great players. He’s always been one of the nicest guys. He’s always been one of the best ball-strikers out there. Nobody’s really took him serious until he’s won the PGA last year.

So if that’s what it that takes, then I’m just going to have to grind harder and hopefully get my hands on a major somewhere down the line. But you know, I feel that at the moment, I don’t have to stand back for any of those guys. I feel that I’ve played well with them in the field.

“I’ve played well without them in the field. Even weeks like this where it’s tough defending, it’s always tough. I’ve got over a big hurdle this week.

“So you never know what the future has got in store.”