Rory McIlroy believes that a better start to his final round at the South African Open could well have seen him clinch the title ahead of eventual winner Richard Sterne.
The South African claimed his second title in seven days - he won the Alfred Dunhill Championship the previous Sunday - when he defeated McIlroy's countryman Gareth Maybin in a play-off at the Pearl Valley Golf Estates.
McIlroy held a three-stroke lead over the eventual winner after three rounds, but his final-round 70 was four shots worse off as he ended with a total of 13-under 275.
And that score could have been much better had the 19-year-old not begun with two double bogeys on his opening two holes.
"I had an absolutely horrendous start," McIlroy said afterwards. "Two sixes is just...(if) I made two fours (I would have) won the tournament by three or two."
That was the worst it got for the Holywood golfer as he bounced back with a faultless next 16 holes that included four birdies and an eagle.
He continued: "I played the last 12 holes in six under, so to come back from that (start), it was a really great effort. I held my second shot on nine and I birdied 10 straight after.
"It was a roller coaster round, but I came back. I came back well again and I'm just very happy about that."
It was a good response at his second co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event in a row after he missed last week's cut at the Leopard Creek Golf Club.
"Last week I didn't play that badly. I was just a little bit rusty after a couple of weeks at home," he said. "The weather is so bad at home that I didn't really get much practice in.
"Then this week I came back, practiced Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and I was well prepared for the tournament.
"I went out and I played really nice golf and it's obviously a great way to end the year, and now I'm looking forward to all the things that are coming my way in the new year."
The reward for his flying finish to 2008 is a certain debut at the Masters next April - the world's top 50 after this week win an automatic place at the first major of the year.
He added: "It's obviously very nice (to be playing in the Masters).
"It's been an absolutely great year and to get to play at Augusta in my second season, making the top 50 in the world and staying there, I had to go out this week and I played pretty well and I did that.
"I'm over the moon."
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