SA’s Reto shines in Arkansas

South Africa’s Paula Reto closed the gap on compatriot Lee-Anne Pace after banking a cheque worth $31,213 for top 15 finish in the LPGA Tour’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday and climbed to 78th in the Official Money list with earnings of $76,762.

The Bloemfontein golfer lags a little less than $10,000 behind Pace, who moved to 76th place after a tie for 64th at Pinnacle Country Club.
Reto also jumped 12 spots to crowd Pace’s rear-view mirror in the Race to CME Globe. Reto is 83rd in the standings with 196 points, while Pearl Valley’s Pace is 82nd on 198 points.
Fellow South African Ashleigh Simon tied for 60th on two under 211. Simon climbed to 124th in the Money List with earnings of $22,259 and rose to 137th in Race to CME Globe with 31 points.
Pace opened with a 72 and the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s double Investec Cup for Ladies winner dipped three strokes below par in the second round, but Reto followed a first round 71 with a superb 64 in the second to break into the top 20.
Her seven under par effort was just two strokes shy of the course record and one shot less that Na Yeon Choi, who took the 36-hole lead and closed with a final round 69 to claim her second LPGA title this season and ninth career win with a two stroke victory on 15 under 198.
Reto closed with a 69 to tie for 13th on nine under 209, while Pace returned a final round 72 to finish on one under 212.
The rich vein of form came too late for Reto, though, who finished just outside automatic qualification for the 70th US Women’s Open.
“I was really hoping to make my US Women’s Open debut this year,” Reto said.
“It would have been fantastic to join Lee-Anne in such a strong field, but I will continue to work hard to make that dream happen for me next year.”

PHOTO – Paula Reto; credit Justin Klusener