IRELAND'S John McHenry gave himself a useful kick start on the 1996 European Volvo Tour when he posted a closing 74 yesterday to finish tied for 10th place with compatriot Des Smith in the Dimension Data Pro Am at Sun City.
The 31 year old from Cork compiled successive loops of 37 in steady rain for a 72 hole aggregate of 290, eight shots behind tournament winner, Mark McNulty of Zimbabwe.
Eamon Darcy carded a fourth round 73 for a share of 14th, while Smith, with his closing 71, did well to edge up the leaderboard in the unfriendly conditions with an excellent back nine of 34.
Raymond Burns returned a two over 74 to finish joint 23rd on 292.
McNulty, just one shot ahead of the field overnight, carded a 73 with three birdies and four bogies to win his first European Tour event since the 1994 BMW International in Munich.
McHenry, playing his first European Tour event of the year, played solidly in the difficult conditions which allowed only nine players to break par on the final day.
He dropped just one shot at the par three fourth to turn in 37, and then came home in 37 with a second bogey at the par four 13th.
"I dropped a silly shot on that 13th hole," he said later. "I elected to go for the green instead of laying tip and went into the thick pampas grass to run up a five.
"I'm disappointed with the way I played today. I had two bogies and missed quite a few birdie opportunities. And starting out this morning, I wanted to shoot a 70 or a 71."
Yet McHenry admitted he was satisfied with his performance over the four days: "I'm happy overall to finish in the top 10 rounds here and two rather iffy rounds."
McHenry said the Gary Player County Club was a more than testing course: "You certainly can't gung ho it here and go for the flags. If you miss the fairways, you miss the greens."
. Open champion John Daly dominated the final day of the AT&T Australian Skins on Australia's Gold Coast yesterday, boosting his earnings to £52,000 by winning five holes outright.
Only British world number one Laura Davies, the first woman to play in a major skins event, was able to bring a temporary halt to Daly's run of success, winning £4,000 at the par five 11th hole and £6,500 overall.
Daly won the first skin of the day with a par at the 10th hole, and then won the par four 12th with a birdie, the par three 16th with a birdie, the par five 17th with a birdie and the 18th by winning a closest to the pin tie breaker.
