City of Cape Town to host SLT

The City of Cape Town has added its significant weight and prestige to this year’s Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies with the addition of the R100,000 Cape Town Ladies Open at Royal Cape Golf Club to the 2015 Sunshine Ladies Tour schedule.

South Africa will field a clutch of 2014 champions, rising stars and promising amateurs at the prestigious Royal Cape Golf Club, while 18 players representing 11 countries will be looking to impress at the prestigious Royal Cape Golf Club from 25-26 February.

WPGA chairman Margie Whitehouse welcomed The City of Cape Town as a new sponsor, saying the event has been given the Sunshine Ladies Tour schedule a significant boost.

“The WPGA is striving to establish a regular playing platform for our players and we are extremely pleased that the City of Cape Town is validating our undertaking and assisting us to grow the Sunshine Ladies Tour,” Whitehouse.

“The City of Cape Town collaborated with Lion of Africa to launch the highly successful Lion of Africa Cape Town Open in 2012. The addition of the Cape Town Ladies Open to our schedule further emphasise the spirit of cooperation and collaboration between ourselves and the Sunshine Tour and we applaud The City of Cape Town’s decision to extend their support to women’s professional golf in South Africa.

“The Cape Town Ladies Open not only gives our leading professionals the opportunity to showcase their talents in the Mother City, but represents a fantastic opportunity for our emerging talent to gain invaluable competitive experience at one of South Africa’s top golf courses.

“Our local and international players are also looking forward to exploring Cape Town, which was voted as the top holiday destination by The New York times and British newspaper The Guardian, and named the Best Travel Destination by The Telegraph in 2014.”

Ashleigh Simon, a two-time European Ladies Tour champion and three-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner last year, will lead a strong South African contingent, including reigning Zambia Ladies Open champion Stacy-Lee Bregman and two-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner Monique Smit.

The local challenge is further strengthened by 2014 Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies Houghton winner Kim Williams and 2014 Sun International Ladies Challenge champion Tandi von Ruben, while four-time Ladies European Tour winner Rebecca Hudson makes a welcome return to South Africa and heads up a strong the international presence.

Whitehouse added that news of the inaugural Cape Town Ladies Open has added to the hype around the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies.

“With prize money of R100,000 and a bonus pool of R600,000 on offer in the Investec Cup for Ladies, the stakes are even higher this year to make the top 10 that qualify to play the season-finale and the Cape Town Ladies Open is definitely adding to the interest and excitement in this year’s Chase.”

European Ladies Tour campaigner and recent Sun International Ladies Challenge champion Bregman also welcomed the new event.

“We were very excited last year by the rebirth of the competitive circuit for women in South Africa and it is thanks to sponsors like the City of Cape Town that we now have a solid base to expand from,” the Joburg golfer said.

“It’s absolutely fantastic that sponsors from the Sunshine Tour have transitioned to the Sunshine Ladies Tour and we are really thankful to the City of Cape Town for joining the drive to grow women’s professional golf.”

PHOTO – Two-time Sunshine Ladies Tour champion Stacy Bregman; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA.