Yorkshire golf: Jamie Bower closes strongly at Blue Valley to finish nine under par in South African Amateur stroke play

His best round of the event, following scores of 71 71 and 69, dipped the Yorkshire champion to nine under for the tournament and he finished tied 24th at Blue Valley Golf and Country Estate.

Ireland's Jack Hume, from Naas GC, won on 19-under-par 269 (67 70 68 64).

Bower triumphed in the Gauteng North Open last week, the first event on a six-week trip as a member of England Golf's squad that will see him also compete in the African Open, the Southern Cape Open Stroke Play, the Cape Province Open and the South African Amateur.

On Thursday he had bemoaned his putting in the first three rounds, which led to only four bogeys but a host of missed birdie chances.

On Friday he accumulated birdies at holes three, five, 10 and 13 without ceding any to par.

"My putting was better today, but I just wasn't hitting it close enough to the hole," said Bower. "My iron play and wedges were very poor. I just birdied three of the par-5s and one par-4.

"My scoring has been better the last couple of days, but I'm still a bit unhappy with it."

He will move on to Leopard Creek for the African Amateur Stroke Play championship next week.