Swiss star Tamburlini leads by six at Joburg Ladies Open

JOHANNESBURG – Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini will take a six-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the Joburg Ladies Open after one of the newest stars in European women’s golf seized control of this Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour event at Modderfontein Golf Club.

Tamburlini went into Saturday’s third round just one shot off the lead of South Africa’s Nadia van der Westhuizen. But as Van Der Westhuizen struggled to make anything happen in her round of 77, the Swiss star surged ahead with a bogey-free round of six-under-par 67 to lead the field on 14 under par.

Her nearest challenger is Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama on eight under par following a third round of 71, while Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes (68) and Czechoslovakia’s Tereza Melecka (71) are tied third on seven under par.

Van Der Westhuizen and Nicole Garcia (71) are the leading South Africans on five under par.

Tamburlini only turned professional last August but has already won twice on the LET Access Tour, the development tour for the Ladies European Tour, and showed remarkable composure in Saturday’s third round despite admitting she was nervous.

“It feels amazing. I was really nervous before the round. I texted my sister on the driving range and told her how nervous I was, and she told me to just chill. But as soon as I hit the first tee shot I felt really calm. I played really solid from start to finish and I’m really excited to go into the final round with a six-shot lead,” said Tamburlini.

Tamburlini’s growing knowledge of the Modderfontein Golf Club layout combined with a few more forgiving flag placements certainly helped her on Saturday.

“I’m getting used to the golf course now. It’s a really tricky golf course and you need to be smart off the tee. The fairways are narrow and you need to place yourself well to have shot into the green. The greens are also quite fast. But the pin placements were definitely easier today and it felt like you had a bit more room for error around the greens.”

With a commanding lead, the 24-year-old Tamburlini is taking nothing for granted as she chases a first Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour title on Sunday.

“The main thing for me is to just keep pushing. A six-shot lead is quite the buffer but you can never get comfortable. You never know, somebody could go eight or nine shots deep on the final day. So I’ll set my own personal goals to ensure I keep pushing and go low again on the final day.” – Michael Vlismas

SCORES:

205 – Chiara Tamburlini (SUI) 70 68 67
211 – Aunchisa Utama (THA) 69 71 71
212 – Luna Sobron Galmes (ESP) 71 73 68, Tereza Melecka (CZE) 72 69 71
213 – Laura Sluman (PAN) 75 69 69, Diksha Dagar (IND) 73 71 69
214 – April Angurasaranee (THA) 67 76 71, Nicole Garcia 71 72 71, Shannon Tan (SIN) 69 72 73, Nadia van der Westhuizen 69 68 77
215 – Verena Gimmy (GER) 69 74 72, Laura Fuenfstueck (GER) 69 73 73, Manon De Roey (BEL) 71 71 73
216 – Sara Kouskova (CZE) 75 73 68, Gabriella Cowley (ENG) 74 72 70, Ana Pelaez Trivino (ESP) 73 72 71
217 – Casandra Alexander 73 73 71, Agathe Sauzon (FRA) 75 71 71, Stacy Bregman 72 77 68, Hannah Screen (ENG) 70 74 73, Virginia Elena Carta (ITA) 73 76 68, Moa Folke (SWE) 72 72 73, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 71 72 74
218 – Maha Haddioui (MAR) 74 73 71, Tvesa Malik (IND) 71 75 72, Ayako Uehara (JPN) 75 73 70, Linnea Johansson (SWE) 75 74 69, Sanna Nuutinen (FIN) 73 71 74, Kim Metraux (SUI) 70 74 74
219 – Michelle Forsland (NOR) 71 75 73, Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 75 71 73, Lydia Hall (WAL) 70 76 73, Danielle du Toit 75 74 70, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 73 71 75
220 – Liz Young (ENG) 70 77 73, Teresa Diez Moliner (ESP) 77 69 74, Tiffany Arafi (SUI) 73 74 73, Ivanna Samu 76 72 72, Lee-Anne Pace 74 72 74, Marta Martin (ESP) 75 75 70
221 – Nina Pegova (WHT) 77 70 74, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 69 77 75, Emma Grechi (FRA) 71 77 73, Emily Penttila (FIN) 70 78 73, Sara Kjellker (SWE) 71 74 76, Jana Melichova (CZE) 70 74 77, Lauren Walsh (IRL) 73 76 72, Emily Price (ENG) 73 77 71, Vani Kapoor (IND) 76 75 70, Dorthea Forbrigd (NOR) 75 76 70
222 – Dorota Zalewska (POL) 75 74 73, Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER) 74 77 71, Leonie Harm (GER) 74 77 71
223 – Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE) 75 72 76, Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 72 76 75, Pasqualle Coffa (NED) 74 72 77
224 – Paz Marfa Sans (ESP) 77 72 75, Lora Assad 76 73 75, Hannah Burke (ENG) 81 70 73, Genevieve Ling (MAS) 74 77 73, Ridhima Dilawari (IND) 73 78 73
225 – Annabell Fuller (ENG) 74 74 77, Camille Chevalier (FRA) 70 76 79, Katherine Muzi (USA) 75 73 77, Alice Hewson (ENG) 74 77 74, Celine Herbin (FRA) 75 76 74
227 – Laura Beveridge (SCO) 76 74 77
228 – Linda Osala (FIN) 73 78 77
229 – Brittney-Fay Berger 72 76 81, Isabella van Rooyen 71 80 78
230 – Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 73 78 79
Missed the cut:-
152 – Clara Young (SCO) 74 78, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 76 76, Christine Wolf (AUT) 77 75, Elena Moosmann (SUI) 76 76, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 74 78, Lejan Lewthwaite 78 74, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 73 79, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 74 78, Georgina Blackman (ENG) 75 77, Cara Gorlei 79 73, Cecilie Finne-Ipsen (DEN) 74 78, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 75 77
153 – Jane Turner (SCO) 75 78, Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) 79 74, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 78 75, Elin Arvidsson (SWE) 76 77, Lisa Pettersson (SWE) 74 79, Tandi McCallum 76 77, Kiera Floyd 76 77
154 – Ana Dawson (IMN) 75 79, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 77 77, Elena Hualde (ESP) 79 75, Corinne Viden (SWE) 76 78
155 – Momoka Kobori (NZL) 74 81, Rosie Davies (ENG) 79 76, Sofie Bringner (SWE) 73 82, Helen Kreuzer (GER) 74 81, Fernanda Lira (MEX) 78 77
156 – Katja Pogacar (SVN) 78 78, Romy Meekers (NED) 80 76, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 76 80, Harang Lee (ESP) 76 80
157 – Vanessa Knecht (SUI) 77 80
158 – Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) 83 75, Gabrielle Venter 84 74
159 – Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 78 81, Gia Raad (a) 76 83, Gemma Clews (ENG) 75 84, Lily May Humphreys (ENG) 80 79, Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 81 78
161 – Amy Walsh (AUS) 81 80, Mireia Prat (ESP) 79 82
162 – Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG) 79 83, Julie Boysen Hillestad (NOR) 80 82
164 – Zethu Myeki 82 82
167 – Tara Griebenow 84 83
169 – Felicity Johnson (ENG) 83 86
RTD – Kylie Henry (SCO) 74 RTD RTD, Thalia Martin (ENG) 78 DSQ DSQ