Titch Moore recalls the biggest victory of his career on the Sunshine Tour with a wry smile. 'In the end, I didn't mind climbing that hill five times again,' he says of his five-hole play-off triumph over Ulrich van den Berg when he won the 2014 Telkom Business PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg.

With a tournament total of 15-under-par, he and Van den Berg went back to the 18th tee to climb up to the green five times to determine the winner of one of the marquee events on the Sunshine Tour. Van den Berg had a chance to end the play-off on two separate occasions, but missed putts from two and four feet to keep Moore alive.

Moore took advantage with his birdie putt at the fifth extra hole to earn his eighth career win on the Sunshine Tour, but his first since the 2007 Coca-Cola Charity Championship.

'I was obviously just happy to get into the play-off because I didn't think 15-under was going to be enough at the end of the day,' a clearly elated Moore said of his first win since 2007 and one that secured him the biggest payday (R593 375) of a professional career that started in 1997.

'To play an extra five holes up that mountain was no problem, and coming on the winning end of it I was very chuffed.'

It was a good day for Moore, as he managed to fulfil a request from his six-year-old son Tremond to bring him a trophy. The fact that he added his name to a list that includes Major winners Gary Player and Louis Oosthuizen was a big plus.

'I still love watching golf. I kind of crave the tour days. Most of all, though, I know I have many mates for life'

'I went up there and, I mean, once I got past Hartbeespoort Dam on the way to Sun City, I was basically in tears the whole way. Obviously, I saw the guys in my world, and I woke up the next morning and said, you know what, this is not my life anymore. Either I can live with it or, you know, be sad for the rest of my life.

'I do miss it big time. Especially the big events. I do miss my mates. I'm still in contact with them. But it was a life-changer.'

Anyone who knows him knew he wasn't going to be sad for the rest of his life, and he went in search of more mountains to climb.

'I'm still fortunate. I'm still an ambassador at Fancourt. They kept me on the books there after the accident. I play mostly Mondays and Wednesdays with the members.

'I've regained my amateur status – it's been quite a while now. In the last couple of years I've played some mid-am events. I'm turning 50 in the middle of the next month, so I'm going to start playing a bit of senior amateur golf.'

It's almost enough for him. 'I still would love to get more involved in golf,' he says. 'I still love watching golf. I kind of crave the tour days. Most of all, though, I know I have many mates for life.

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'I've had a successful career. And I obviously thoroughly enjoyed it while I was out there. I came close in Europe a couple of times and that was for keeping my full card. And, you know, I was very close to being decent on the world stage. But I mean, I had 10 wins out here and won on the Challenge Tour.'

While there are golfing mountains out there, perhaps it's the non-golf climbs he has achieved that are best for him. Perhaps next time he thinks back on that win in the PGA Championship, he will remember how that final day started: A birthday party for his then three-year-old son Blake in the morning seemed to be the precursor of a good day.

'Life carries on,' he says. And it brings ever increasing pleasure to those who are willing to climb the mountains that rise up in front of them. Even if you have to climb them five more times to get to that final victory.

CARL FOURIE | PETRI OESCHGER | SHAUN ROY | LUKE WALKER | SUNSHINE TOUR