After steaming to a nearly unassailable lead on Thursday, Jean Hugo almost strolled to the finishing line to lift the R700 000 Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open title on Saturday.

The 32-year old Stellenbosch pro signed off on a final round 73 at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club, which was worth just a single point under the Modified Stableford format.

Hugo walked away with the top prize of R110 950 for his sixth Sunshine Tour victory, celebrating a six-point triumph over Kwazulu Natal’s Neil Schietekat with a winning total of 56 points.

Schietekat added nine points to take his average to 50 points and edge out first round leader Desvonde Botes for sole second.

Trevor Fisher Jnr picked up 14 points to launch to third on 48 points, while Christiaan Basson from Cape Town finished alone in fifth on 47 points.

Hugo missed the cut at the season-opening Joburg Open, but has since been dominating the leaderboard with ominous frequency and it was hardly surprising to see Hugo launch into contention at the end of the second round in Swaziland.

He broke into the top-10 for the first time at the Dimension Data Pro-Am, followed by a tie for third at the Africa Open. After another top-10 finish at the Vodacom Championship, Hugo launched into the top-20 at the Telkom PGA Championship.

With ties for fourth, second and sixth in his last three starts, a move to Pretoria and intensive coaching from former caddie and player, turned coach Graeme Francis, has finally paid off.

“It’s a different kind of stress when you are leading by such a margin. You know under this format the guys can catch you, especially if they start making eagles,” said Hugo, who turned in one-over and had two birdies and bogeys apiece coming home.

“Yesterday was still okay, but today was really tough. I missed a helluva lot of short putts, 3-to 8-footers, and it was very frustrating. I just couldn’t get birdies on my card.

“I kept my eye on the leaderboard and I could see some guys starting to make a move. It was only after that second birdie at the 15th that I knew I would be okay.

“Winning is great, but to tell you the truth, right now it’s more of a relief after the pressure of staying ahead today.”

Hugo, who campaigned regularly on the European Tour over the last couple of years, says he is staying in South Africa until later this season.

“I may play one or two events in July,” said Hugo, who now ranks 12th on the current Order of Merit.

“Nicky (Hugo’s wife of six months) and I are going to the UK for my brother Jacques’ wedding in July and the Sunshine Tour has no tournaments scheduled at that time, so it may be worth teeing it up once or twice while we are over there.

“The aim this year is to work on consistently finishing in top-10 and I hope to win a few more before I go to Tour School in October.”

The Sunshine Tour returns to South Africa for the next stop on the 2008 calendar, the Nashua Golf Challenge at Sun City from 15-17 May 2008.