Morgan Cibilic got the boost in confidence and cash he was looking for at the Bells Beach Pro after ending his campaign in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
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Competing as an injury replacement at the fourth stop on the Championship Tour, the Merewether Surfboard Club member lost to good friend and South African Matt McGillivray by the barest of margins, 12.17 to 12.16, in slow, small waves at the Bells bowl.
Cibilic opened with a 6.33 from several turns on a long ride but McGillivray quickly racked up a 7.0 and 5.17 to sit in the box seat.
It left Cibilic needing a 5.85 to take the lead and he challenged with 13 minutes remaining, working hard again on another long, slow wave.
The judges, though, were split between highs of 6.3 and lows of 5.5, leaving Cibilic just short of the requirement with a 5.83.
He then came up short with two 3.5s, the second of which featured a fall after a blow-tail rotation finish, before scoring 4.57 with his last effort.
The narrow loss followed a 13.5 to 12.27 win over clubmate Ryan Callinan on Saturday in the round of 16 at Winkipop. Callinan rose two spots to 16th in the live rankings with just the Margaret River Pro remaining before the top 22 mid-season cut.
For Cibilic, the result at Bells gave him $33,000 in prizemoney and a lift before his Challenger Series assault opens on the Gold Coast on April 27.
The 24-year-old was the world No.5 in his maiden CT campaign in 2021 but he fell off tour in the following mid-season cut and has been working since to earn his ticket back.
"I'm so stoked," Cibilic said after his win on Saturday.
"I just want to do well here, get some coin and get out, so I'm stoked.
"It feels so good. I feel like a lot of the guys here have a fair bit of pressure with the cut, so it feels good to come in here pretty free and feeling good.
"My last year on tour I pretty much didn't even make a heat, so it feels good just to get a couple back and boost the confidence a bunch, just stick to my process and have a hell time with everyone down here. We've got a hell crew down here and all the boys on tour, it's sick to be hanging out with them again. It's epic.
"I swear I never beat Ryan when we're at home in boardriders, he always smokes me, so it feels good to get a win here over him.
"But he's been doing so well this year, so it's epic to see him just find his feet on tour and just being the usual guy that's going to be in the top 10."