Tyrone Ferreira slipped into the role of a quiet assassin with accomplished ease and held his pursuers at bay for his maiden pro win at the Chainama Hills Zambia Open on a tough, windy final day in the Lusaka capital.

A capricious 75 for a winning total of eight-under-par 280 gave the Sunshine Tour rookie a two stroke victory over Cape Town's Charl Coetzee and Divan van den Heever of Polokwane, who carded 69 and 70 respectively.

As the sunshine and relatively calm conditions of the first two days gave way to a strong southwesterly wind, Ferreira teed off two strokes clear of first round leader Johan Etsebeth with a host of others ready to knock him off top spot.

But, even if the expected battle was launched, the coup never materialised.

In the tough conditions everyone spilled shots and the 19-year-old former top SA amateur, who led from start to finish, held up under the constant pressure.

Even when he stumbled with three bogeys in his first nine holes to tie Jean Hugo, Ferreira managed to hold on and coming down the 18th, still had three shots in hand to claim his maiden pro title.

"When I teed off, I was nervous as hell," said Ferreira. "I tried not to think about winning, but rather to focus on keeping the lead. I was also a little unsettled by the wind this morning and I wasn't hitting my irons all that well.

"But even when I dropped shots at the start, I didn't worry because I knew I could take a couple of birdies after the turn and still win." That's exactly what he did.

Ferreira, who pulled ahead after Hugo double bogeyed the 14th, actually got it to nine-under through 17, but airmailed his drive deep into the trees at the 18th. With a three shot cushion, he played the mature shot and chipped back to the fairway.

"I hit my approach just on to the green, but I think the nerves got the better of me and I three-putted for a bogey" he explained.

While Ferreira wasn't too happy with his overall performance, he was delighted with the victory.

"It's not exactly the way I would have liked to finish, but a win is a win.

"Actually it's a little unreal still; maybe it will sink in when I hold the trophy. It's great, just great. I'll always remember this day," an animated Ferreira said.

With four victories and ten top-10 finishes, Ferreira ended his 2007 season as South Africa's leading amateur.

The 19-year-old from Alberton turned pro at the Sunshine Tour's Qualifying School in December, joined the ISM stable and, with a joint ninth place in his pro debut at the European Tour co-sanctioned Joburg Open, signalled that his sights were set on the big time.

In addition to landing the second biggest cheque of his career, R118 875 in only his eight pro start, Ferreira's Zambia Open victory saw him climb to eighth on the Sunshine Tour rankings. He trails Louis Moolman by a little less than R65 000 in the Sunshine Tour's Rookie Race for 2008.

Ferreira also earned an all-important two-year exemption on the Sunshine Tour, which, effectively immediately, actually translates to two years and nine months which frees Ferreira up to go and campaign on the Challenge Tour this season.

Zimbabwe's Tongo Charamba and Andrew Odoh from Nigeria both carded 73s to tie for fourth at five-under-par 211 alongside Hugo, who carded a 75 and first round leader Etsebeth, who signed for a 76.

Grant Muller finished alone in eighth on four-under with a final round 71.

Sapa