A disappointing two-over-par final round of 74 saw Matt Wallace have to settle for a tie for 30th after the Joburg Open came to a belated end today.

While the title was effectively out of reach for the Moor Park Golf Club professional – eventual champion Shubhankar Sharma went into the final 18 holes on 20-under – Wallace would have been hoping for at least a top-10 finish when he started the protracted final 18 holes in a share of 12th on 10-under.

Having started with a bogey five yesterday, the 27-year-old immediately got his round back moving in the right direction with three successive birdies to move him to 12-under after the fourth on Randpark Golf Club’s Firethorn Course.

However, he dropped shots at the par four sixth, par three eighth and par four 10th when play was suspended due to bad weather.

Resuming his final round this morning, Wallace did pick up a birdie on the par five 12th, only to make a double bogey six at 13 as he finished in a 12-strong group on eight-under, 13 shots behind Sharma.

The Pinner-based professional was philosophical though, and wrote on Instagram: “Well that’s FINALLY it for the year. Awful finish but just going to write it off. Seen improvements in all areas of my game.”

Having started the year on the Challenge Tour following his historic six Alps Tour triumphs in 2016, Wallace graduated to the European Tour in May by winning the Open de Portugal, qualified for his first major at the US Open and was to finish the 2017 season 70th on the Race to Dubai standings.