SOUTH African James Kamte is a living testament that there is no short cut to success following his triumph at the Asian Tour International last Sunday.

Barely weeks after surviving a nerve-racking campaign at Qualifying School which included 12 stitches on his toe, Kamte overcame the odds to not only seal his card for this season but also win the season-opening event at Suwan Golf and Country Club in Bangkok.

'It's a dream come true for me. I hope this won't be the last,' Kamte said on asiantour.com.

Kamte, who turned professional in 2003, enjoyed a solid campaign on his home circuit in 2007 with one win and two runner-up finishes and also played in Europe last season before making the decision to switch his focus onto the Asian Tour this year.

'I always wanted to try out at the Asian Tour so I decided to give it a shot,' said Kamte, who finished fourth at Qualifying School last month.

'It's a great place to be and I have a good start to my goal of having a fruitful season.'

Kamte displayed a dogged determination on the eve of the final round at Qualifying School.

He suffered a freak accident which resulted in a deep cut on his right toe which needed 12 stitches.

But he survived the ordeal without any painkillers to earn his card.

This determination has also seen him win his maiden Asian Tour title.

'I knew I was hitting the ball really good the whole week and I just needed to make the putts. I kept my faith and everything just went my way,' he said.