Branden, who turned pro in 2007, secured his European Tour card for a second time in 2012 by finishing in the top 10 at qualifying school.

Branden was awarded the Gary Player Trophy for being the player with the leading stroke average in a minimum of nine tournaments on the Sunshine Tour in 2011.

His average of 69.41 was achieved over a total of 26 rounds in seven tournaments, and it was bolstered by his performance in the Telkom PGA Championship, where he was shared third behind George Coetzee with a 72-hole total of 23 under par.

Branden won the Joburg Open at the beginning of 2012 and followed up immediately with a consecutive victory in the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt in South Africa which put him inside the top 100 of the world rankings.