On December 6, 1971, Hayes won the Bert Hagerman Invitational on his 19th birthday, his first win on tour.

[1] Overall, Hayes won more than a dozen events in South Africa, leading the Southern African Tour's Order of Merit in 1972/73.

In 1974, he won the World Cup of Golf for South Africa in partnership with Bobby Cole.

[3] He also finished in the top four on the European Tour's Order of Merit in 1978 and 1979, but played little professional golf after his late twenties.

Since he stopped playing tour golf, Hayes has remained involved in the sport in a variety of ways.