South African sensation Garrick Higgo has joined Tiger Woods in the records books with victory at the Canary Islands Championship.
Higgo, 21, posted an ace and seven birdies in a closing 64 to win by six shots with a 27-under par victory tally on the spectacular clifftop Costa Adeje course at Tenerife.
The Joburg-born Higgo’s winning total was just two shots shy of matching fellow South African who owns the Tour 72-low of 29-under set at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia.
It had taken Higgo 24 events to win twice on the European Tour, winning last September’s Portugal Masters and capturing a second last fortnight at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open.
Now in a 26th Tour event, Higgo has joined Woods as the quickest player since 1990 on golf’s leading two Tour’s to win three events after Woods won his third of now 109 titles in early January 1997 and also in just 26 starts.
Higgo said: “I’m really tired but I am just really happy and thankful.
“I did feel pressure at the start as I was the first time I’ve led going into a last day, and in this game anything can happen.
“So, to win three events in since my first European Tour victory last September is pretty special and I’m delighted.”
One of those very impressed was Scotland’s Connor Syme who posted a closing 66 to share 12th place at 17-under par.
Syme said: “Garrick is unbelievable and while I am one not to be looking at scoreboards but I did have a glance of the board at the 16th , and not I was expecting I had a chance if I got to 20-under myself, but he’s playing incredible golf
“I played with him a couple of weeks ago in the last round of the Gran Canaria Championship when he won, and he’s going to go onto big things, for sure.”
Garrick Higgo joins Tiger Woods in being the quickest to win three events since 1990 – just 26 events for the duo
Higgo, who went into day four leading by two, was in a class of his own stretching his lead to seven shots after he aced the par-3 seventh hole and the first hole-in-one of the pro career.
He then picked-up four other birdies to be a remarkable 62-under par for his two victories in the Canary Islands.
Higgo’s sixth pro career victory will see the left-handed Higgo jump to around 51st in the world and now just five places shy of golf’s top-ranked lefty in Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.
Higgo will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Wednesday and the opening day of the BetFred British Masters at The Belfry.
And the Rainbow Nation has now won the last three European Tour’s events and also the past three secondary Challenge Tour events after South African Wilco Nienaber captured the Dimension Data Pro-Am.
