Investec South African Women’s Open showcases Out of the Ordinary talent

Michael Vlismas

SOMERSET WEST, Western Cape – The 32nd Investec South African Women’s Open will showcase the growing depth of international women’s golf, and specifically some of the most inspiring stories from a host of South African women professionals who are chasing glory at Erinvale Country & Golf Estate this week.

The final tournament on this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour has drawn a quality field that includes the stars of the Ladies European Tour, with €340 000 (approximately R7.1 million) in prize money on offer when the first round tees off on Thursday.

South African women’s golf’s most historic tournament has also drawn a few golfers who epitomise the Out of the Ordinary talent on display this week.

It was exactly after this tournament in 2020 that Ivanna Samu arrived home to a diagnosis of cancer. Having bravely overcome this disease, she is now back in this field with a whole new focus on her career. During her treatment Samu decided to help out with coaching young golfers to take her mind off things, and which gave even greater meaning to her involvement in the Sally Little and Imibala Golf Clinic with young golfers at Erinvale on Wednesday.

“When I was going through my cancer I felt very down, and just seeing the joy on the kids’ faces brought joy to my own heart. I’ve played in this tournament as an amateur and now as a professional. The Investec South African Women’s Open is a great tournament, and the opportunity to compete against the Ladies European Tour professionals gives me a great idea of where I want to get to. I’ll be going to the LET Qualifying School this year, and this is where it starts. This is the opportunity we have been given,” she said.

The 23-year-old Kaiyuree Moodley has taken the Sunshine Ladies Tour by storm this year and is leading the R&A Rookie of the Year standings while also occupying a place inside the top 10 on the Investec Order of Merit. The rising star of South African women’s golf already has playing privileges on the Ladies European Tour, and has also been selected as one of Investec’s sponsored golfers for the season. There was a sense of her coming full circle as she took part in the Sally Little and Imibala Golf Clinic.

“Sally Little actually invited me to one of her golf clinics when I was just starting out in the game. So being able to come back and give something back to her clinic is awesome. And if you’d told me at the beginning of the year that I would be sponsored by Investec in my first year as a professional I would’ve laughed. It’s fantastic because I can now play freely without having to worry about anything. I feel very privileged to be here,” she said.

Danielle du Toit has overcome her own challenges to get to this point in her career where she tees off on Thursday as a winner this year already on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.

“This is the tournament you dream of winning, as a South African. But this game has opened so many doors for me. I’m excited for the week,” she said.

For Little herself, this week is about exactly these opportunities for the next generation of South African women golfers and the inspiration they are to others.

“To come to a tournament as a young professional and have the opportunity to play a golf course like Erinvale, it elevates that feeling of them being able to take their careers overseas and to achieve their dreams. It’s beautiful to see, and I’ll be pulling for a South African winner this year,” she said.

Entrance is free for spectators, with free parking at Lourensford Wine Estate.
The tournament will also be televised live on SuperSport from Thursday to Sunday.

(From left to right) Professional Ivanna Samu; Peta Dixon, Investec Head of Sponsorships;
and professionals Danielle du Toit and Kaiyuree Moodley ahead of this week’s
Investec South African Women’s Open at Erinvale.

About Investec

Investec partners with private, institutional, and corporate clients, offering international banking, investments, and wealth management services in two principal markets, South Africa, and the UK, as well as certain other countries. The Group was established in 1974 and currently has 7,400+ employees. Investec has a dual listed company structure with primary listings on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges.

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