16th November 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Investec invests for a further four years
Investec is thrilled to announce their renewed partnership with the Sunshine Ladies Tour. Having supported women’s golf for many years, the group will continue to sponsor the prestigious Investec South African Women’s Open for a further five years.
The Investec South African Women’s Open, taking place on Wednesday 9 – Saturday 12 March next year, is the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s showpiece event and is widely regarded as a world-class national championship tournament that attracts international talent.
The event, hosted by the City of Cape Town for the fifth successive year, will take place at the picturesque Steenberg Golf Club, Cape Town.
Proud title sponsor of the Investec South African Women’s Open, the Investec Order of Merit, and the Investec Homegrown Award, Peta Dixon, Investec’s head of sponsorships, says that the brand is committed to equality, belonging, inclusion and diversity and is focused on enabling more women to thrive.
“When looking at our own sponsorship arena, it’s not just about the sportswomen of today – but the stars of tomorrow. Women golfers continuously face the same challenges, the same courses and the same high standards as their male counterparts, and the competition is equally as tough and rewarding for both players and spectators alike. For many years now, Investec has invested in the next generation of women, on their rise to the top. We proudly support local talent on a global stage and believe that our investment will go a long way towards affording more female golfers the opportunity to not only play and perform, but to earn well too.”
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Investec,” commented Pauli van Meersbergen, Sunshine Ladies Tour General Manager.
“Investec continues to break new ground in closing the equality gap, and we are honoured to partner with a company that consistently looks to create more opportunities for women, both on the course and in the workplace.
“Thanks to the collaboration between Investec, the City of Cape Town, the Ladies European Tour and the Sunshine Ladies Tour, the Investec South African Women’s Open has flourished and become a sought after, world-class event on the international calendar. Our thanks also to the WPGA for their support. We are proud to see this incredibly exciting week now cemented in our annual schedule for the next four years.”
In addition to Investec’s significant contribution to the increased prize pool for the Investec South African Women’s Open, Investec has also doubled the bonus prize on offer for the 2022 Investec Order of Merit to R200,000. “We eagerly await 2022, with so much more to come in our ongoing quest to remain Out of the Ordinary,” concludes Dixon.
About Investec
Investec partners with private, institutional and corporate clients, offering international banking, investment 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 approximately 8,200+ employees. Investec has a dual listed company structure with listings on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges.
Investec-sponsored pro golfers
Investec currently sponsors four pro-players Lejan Lewthwaite, Nicole Garcia and Stacy Bregman from South Africa and Stephanie Meadow from Ireland.
Investec South African Women’s Open
The tournament became a co-sanctioned event between the Sunshine Ladies Tour and the Ladies European Tour in 2018. The champion will earn a Tournament Winner’s Category Exemption on the Ladies European Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour for the remainder of the 2022 and the 2023 season.
Investec Order of Merit
The Investec Order of Merit is based on a points system, and the top three placed professionals on the final Investec Order of Merit will gain automatic entry into the 2023 Investec South African Women’s Open. In order to qualify for the Investec Order of Merit bonus prize, players must have competed in at least four events in the 2022 Sunshine Ladies Tour season. The winner of the Investec Order of Merit will receive a bonus prize of R200,000.
The Investec Homegrown Award
Investec continues to support local talent with the Homegrown Award, which was first introduced in the 2021 season. It rewards a South African winner of the Investec South African Women’s Open with an additional prize of R100,000.
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16th May 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Historic 4th Investec South African Women’s Open title for Perfect Pace
16 May 2021 – Lee-Anne Pace was the home heroine once again as she clinched a record fourth Investec South African Women’s Open title, carding a final round of 72 for a one-shot win over Germany’s Leonie Harm.
In the Ladies European Tour (LET) curtain-raiser Pace’s victory, where she finished the tournament on two-over-par, at Westlake Golf Club also ensures she leads the 2021 Race to Costa del Sol.
“I’m so happy to win again. My last win on the LET was in 2014 and to get number 10 is just incredible,” said Pace, who was also the first Sunshine Ladies Tour golfer to win the flagship event three successive years in 2014, 2015 and 2017 (no event in 2016).
“It’s always nice to play to end the Sunshine Ladies Tour season and start the LET season here at home, and this year is it extra special. Thank you to all the golfers who made the effort to travel to South Africa to compete in this year’s Investec South African Women’s Open. Also, a big thank you to Investec and the City of Cape Town for your incredible support of women’s golf.”
After play was suspended with the leaders only midway through the third round, Pace – playing in the final group with Harm and compatriot Nicole Garcia – had plenty of golf left as they completed the third round before heading back out onto the course again.
But there was a surprise leader when the third round wrap up.
The LET’s youngest member, 17-year-old Pia Babnik, had carded 69 in the sunny conditions to see her level par for the tournament. The Slovenian teenager started the final round two shots ahead of Pace, who carded 73 and three clear of Harm and Garcia.
Babnik had a mixed final round and a pair of double bogeys at 16 and 18 saw her slip out of contention.
Lee-Anne Pace not only lifted her record 4th Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club on Sunday, but also banked the Investec Order of Merit title and became the first South African winner of the brand-new Investec Homegrown Award.; credit Roger Sedres.
Pace, who has dominated the Sunshine Ladies Tour since its inception in 2014 with 13 victories, knocked on the door all summer and she finally got the job done over the last 18 holes.
The 40-year-old offset a lone bogey with two birdies on the front nine and made another birdie on the par-4 12th. “I don’t know what happened on the last two holes; I think I realised I had it in the bag and just lost my focus,” said the South African, who held on to seal her 10th LET title despite finishing with successive bogeys.
“I’m actually quite glad I played out of the trees on the 18th and that I didn’t go for it, I thought I had to go for it, because the last scoreboard I had seen still had me at +1 and in second-place. My short game has been so good, so I thought if I play out on the green I would have a chance and the worst case was a play-off.
“I hit the ball on the right side of the hole for the whole day. There were a couple of putts that could easily have dropped that didn’t. I was very happy with my game, I hit a lot of the greens and I did it!”
There was a lot on the line for Pace, who not only walked away with the lion share of the €200 000 purse and the Investec Order of Merit title, worth R100 000. She also pocketed another R100 000 as the first South African winner of the brand-new Investec Homegrown Trophy.
US Women’s Open qualifiers at the Investec South African Women’s Open – Karolin Lampert & Leonie Harm from Germany and SA pair Lee-Anne Pace & Nicole Garcia; credit Roger Sedres
On top of this, Pace’s triumph at Westlake shot her to the top of the 2021 LET Race to Costa del Sol and earned her the first of four spots into the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open.
“The incentives to win this week was incredible. We really had so much to play for and I can’t be more excited. I am going for my US visa next week – Olympic Club, here I come,” said a jubilant Pace.
The 76th US Women’s Open takes place in June and the other three players who earned a ride into the second Major of the year was Harm, who recorded her best-ever finish on the LET at this tournament, as well as Germany’s Karolin Lampert and South Africa’s Nicole Garcia, who tied for third.
Garcia said: “That last putt for par on 18 was the most nerve-wracking putt I ever had to sink; I really wanted that US Women’s Open spot and the relief to see it drop was indescribable. I am absolutely over the moon that I nailed it. And I am so grateful to everyone that made this year’s Investec South African Women ‘s Open happen so we could get those spots.”
It was also a good news day for reigning South African Women’s Amateur champion Caitlyn Macnab, who lifted the Jackie Mercer Trophy as the leading amateur.
2021 Investec South African Women’s Open leading amateur Caitlyn Macnab; credit Roger Sedres
The GolfRSA No. 1 won the Jabra Ladies Classic three weeks ago and became the first amateur to win on the local professional circuit since Ashleigh Buhai’s SA Women’s Open win in 2007. The 19-year-old Glendower amateur improved every day, carding rounds of 77, 75, 74 and 73 to tie for 16th on 299.
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
23rd March 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Investec announces new SA winner’s prize incentive
The condensed 2021 Sunshine Ladies Tour is set to be the best yet as Investec introduces the Investec Homegrown Award. The award will see a South African winner of the Investec South African Women’s Open take home an additional R100 000.
2014 saw Investec launch the Chase to the Investec Cup, which was inclusive of the 100,000 rand bonus prize for the Investec Order of Merit winner. Several years later, Investec further entrenched their golfing presence by claiming naming rights to the Investec South African Women’s Open, with a prize pool of 200,000 euro.
Investec’s Head of Sponsorship, Peta Dixon says that Investec is committed to its values of equality, inclusion and diversity and is focused on enabling more women to thrive.
“With this in mind, we’ve added an additional prize incentive of 100,000 rand. Simply put: If a South African professional wins the Investec South African Women’s Open, she will win the 100,000 rand Investec Homegrown Award as well as her portion of the Investec South African Women’s Open prize pool. She can of course potentially take the Investec Order of Merit too.
“Investec looks to continue promoting and backing local South African talent which is in line with our recently launched campaign of ‘Women on the rise,’ focusing on the strength of female athletes and gender equality. While there’s still a long way to go before gender pay parity in golf is a reality, we are proud of the contribution that we’re making to that cause.”
Investec sponsored golfers Stacy Bregman, Nicole Garcia and Lejan Lewthwaite will all be competing on the 6-tournament tour, with their eyes on the prize says Bregman:
“It’s another wonderful incentive by Investec and I speak on behalf of all the pro’s when I say that we’re extremely grateful. Personally, I’ve worked hard throughout the off-season and lockdown because there is a lot of money at stake when factoring in the Investec Order of Merit, tournament wins and now the Investec Homegrown Award on offer at the final tournament. All these contribute towards a hugely competitive circuit: growing our game and golfers; and we just cannot wait to tee-off.”
The eighth season of the local women’s professional circuit launches with the Cape Town Ladies Open at Royal Cape Golf Club from 7-9 April; and concludes with the ISAWO at Westlake Golf Club from 13 – 16 May 2021.
Sunshine Ladies Tour General Manager Pauli van Meersbergen:
“As a partner and sponsor, Investec has made an immeasurable contribution to the Sunshine Ladies Tour since the circuit launched in 2014 and has consistently upped the ante with additional incentives to promote the development of women’s professional golf in our country.
“They have done it again with this wonderful Investec Homegrown Award. Winning the Investec South African Women’s Open comes with a two-year exemption on the Ladies European Tour, where the 100,000 rand cash injection will go a long way in covering costs for the champion. We applaud Investec for their innovation and dedication to growing women’s golf and for always finding ways to give our South African golfers an opportunity to take the next step and level up.”
2021 SUNSHINE LADIES TOUR REVISED SCHEDULE
| APRIL | |
| 7-9 | Cape Town Ladies Open |
| R200 000 | |
| Royal Cape Golf Club | |
| 14-16 | Jabra Ladies Classic |
| R600 000 | |
| Glendower Golf Club | |
| 21-23 | SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International |
| R400 000 | |
| Gary Player Country Club | |
| 28-30 | Joburg Ladies Open |
| R500 000 | |
| Soweto Country Club | |
| MAY | |
| 7-9 | Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am |
| R600 000 | |
| R100 000 Better Ball Pro-Am | |
| 13-16 | Investec South African Women’s Open* |
| €200 000 | |
| Westlake Golf Club | |
| * Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned | |
| **2021 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier |
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