Barnet golfer Andrew Johnston says he feels he belongs among the elite on the European Tour after finishing third at his first event since returning to the Tour.

The North Middlesex member finished nine shots behind winner Branden Grace and two behind Louis Oosthuizen in second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa on Sunday.

Johnston (pictured) last played on the European Tour in 2012 but failed to retain his full Tour Card and returned to the European Challenge Tour the following year.

However after finishing 11 under par at the Leopard Creek, 25-year-old believes he has proven to himself he can compete with very best.

Johnston explained: “I definitely feel like I belong here; it is just about learning from my mistakes and trying to improve and just play my natural game.

“It is just about proving I can get up there. It is a good start and something to build on. We have to make sure we are not complacement though. It proves I can win.”

And Johnston, who admitted recently playing on the 2012 Tour forced him to take his golf more seriously, said of his previous experience: “The first year I played I was so focused on keeping my Tour Card so I am not going to worry about it this time around.

“The obvious aim is to keep the card but I want to make sure I keep preparing properly and doing the right things and the same things I was doing right last year. If I can do that them I am confident everything else will fall into place.”

It has been a vintage year for the Arsenal supporter, who won his first professional event – the Scottish Hyrdo Challenge – and claimed a second win at Le Vaudreuil less than a month later.

“It is like when I said last year I felt like I could win a tournament,” said Johnston. “But you have to got to win it to prove it to yourself and everyone else.”

“It gives you so much confidence when you do get that win. I am really happy – it has been a really good start.”

The Alfred Dunhill Championship was Johnston’s last of 2014 and he admitted he surpassed his own expectations by finishing as high as he did.

He mused: “I felt really comfortable with everything going on. But I felt like I wasn’t hitting the ball great so I tried to revert to the things I know well, so I did not have much expectation for the week.

“I had not set out a target – just to go out and enjoying playing. I was just looking forward to having a break at Christmas but my manager encouraged me to play and I just treated it like a free tournament really, which took the pressure off.”

The win netted Johnston €103,800 in prize money, leaving him 11th on the Race to Dubai rankings at this early stage. And whilst the money comes in handy, it provides a more important means to an end for Johnston.

Said Johnston: “My manager sponsors me and helps out with flights and accommodation so that is a big weight off my shoulders. The money is helpful but the most important thing is a getting as high up the Race to Dubai as possible.”

Johnston returns to action in the New Year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.