24th February 2023 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Sweet revenge for Alexander with Jabra Ladies Open victory
24 February 2023 – Fifth in 2019. Third in 2021. Cas Alexander exacted her revenge on the Glendower Golf Club course on Friday as she carded a six-under-par 66 to scythe through field for a one-stroke victory in the R1-million Jabra Ladies Open.
She lifted her second title of the Sunshine Ladies Tour 2023 season after winning the season-opening SuperSport Ladies Challenge, and the one-shot victory shot the Ekurhuleni native to the summit of the Investec Order of Merit.
Alexander set the early clubhouse target at 14-under-par with her bogey-free round, then waited to see how things would unfold.
Mireia Prat from Spain, who led the first two rounds, was tied for the lead, but handed the victory to Alexander with a finishing bogey. South Africa’s Kaleigh Telfer continued a strong run in her rookie season on the local circuit, backing up a top five in the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge with a superb third place finish in her Jabra Ladies Classic debut.
Alexander, ironically, thought her first hole of the day was her best hole and set her up for her fourth Sunshine Ladies Tour triumph.
“The highlight was the first hole, because I hit it in the front bunker, the same place as in the second round where I made double, but this time, I hit a really good bunker shot, made the putt for par and I felt it was a sign to get going,” Alexander said. “That got my confidence up after an under-pressure first hole, because it got me straight into the focus mode.”
Alexander was not at all happy with her efforts in the second round. “I struggled. I made a lot of birdies, but I dropped a lot of shots. I mean, I made double on the first hole, and it was a fight from there and then I finished with two drops. I felt the course owed me after that.
“I knew a low round could do it. I was hoping for an eight-under – I actually used a Titleist 8 ball because of that. I just thought to myself I was going to keep it really tidy. I knew I was three shots behind but if I could get to three-under as quickly as possible, then I would feel I was level with the lead and I could get going from there. Today’s 66 was really good – it felt like an eight-under. With no drops, you feel like the birdies really count.”
The 2021 Joburg Ladies Open champion made the three birdies she needed by the time she reached the sixth. With Prat only one-under at that point, it was game on.
The Spaniard didn’t pick up another shot until the 12th, while Alexander had made two more at that stage to draw level. The birdie Alexander made on 13 saw her hit the front. “I didn’t hit that fairway the whole week as I missed it right,” she said. “Today I hit the fairway and I pumped one up there 290, and I had an eight-iron in, two puts for a tap-in birdie.”
Alexander held her nerve down the stretch and, although Prat levelled things up with a birdie of her own on the 15th, she dropped again on the final hole. “It was good to keep it steady on 17 and 18, as they make for a tough finish,” said Alexander.
Telfer finished her tournament with a five-under-par 67, and that lifted her two shots clear of Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby, who was on 10-under. Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am winner Moa Folke of Sweden’s good run also continues – she finished in fifth on nine-under after she closed with a level-par 72.
For Alexander, the win settled the beef she felt she had with Glendower after her opening 66. “It wasn’t a particularly good 66 on the first day,” she said. “The course was there for the taking, and I felt it was very average.
“From the beginning this morning, I felt if I could get a low one in, I could maybe stand a chance. Things went my way, and a couple of putts dropped.”
With the final two events of the 2023 season, the Joburg Ladies Open and the Investec South African Women’s Open, ahead of her, Alexander is sitting pretty with great form on her side.
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21st February 2023 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Garcia targeting Jabra Ladies Classic opportunities
Garcia targeting Jabra Ladies Classic opportunities
GLENDOWER, 21 February 2023 – Nicole Garcia returns to South Africa this week fresh from a solid result in Saudi Arabia to tee it up in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Jabra Ladies Classic, which gets underway on Wednesday at Glendower Golf Club.
It’s the fifth edition of the popular tournament, and it presents an intriguing challenge on one of the best championship layouts in South Africa.
And just in case the R1-million prize fund is not enough, the winner of the Jabra Ladies Classic receives an invitation to compete in the Jabra Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour.
“I played well enough for my 24th place in a good field,” said Garcia, “but Glendower presents a very different challenge to the course in Saudi. My short game was solid, but not so much off the tee. The fairways were wide over there, and Glendower is going to demand more precision. I’m going to work on that ahead of the tournament.”
Garcia is joined in the field by two other players fresh from the Ladies European Tour tournament in Saudi Arabia, Lee-Anne Pace and Casandra Alexander.
Pace, the reigning Investec South African Women’s Open champion, was the top South African finisher in the field last week. She also finished in a share of fourth in the Jabra Ladies Classic last year behind the winner Linn Grant of Sweden, who went on to have a dominating year on the Ladies European Tour after dominating in her rookie season on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Alexander, who tied for fourth with Pace at Glendower last year, won the opening tournament on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this year when she took the SuperSport Ladies Challenge at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City at the beginning of February.
While she missed the cut in Saudi Arabia, Alexander had a share of 13th the week before on the Ladies European Tour in Morocco as she continued her good form from her victory.
Garcia was 19th in last year’s Jabra Ladies Classic, but she was a runner-up in 2021 and knows what the former SA Open venue demands. And, with her Ladies European Tour experience, she knows the value of a good performance at Glendower – in fact, in any of the Sunshine Ladies Tour events.
“It’s a great incentive for those players who play on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and won’t ordinarily get in to the Jabra Ladies Open,” said Garcia. “In fact, getting a good start in South Africa is good for anyone, and some good results on this tour will set me up nicely for a stress-free year in Europe.”
Local rookie Kiera Floyd is certainly one player who would benefit from a win at Glendower.
A former Ekurhuleni Women’s Open winner at the championship layout, she finished third as a 14-year-old inexperienced amateur in the inaugural event in 2019, and the 19-year-old is coming into this year’s tournament wiser, more mature and in form after finishing an impressive second in last week’s Cape Town Ladies Open in challenging conditions at Atlantic Beach Links.
Besides the South African players looking to grasp the opportunity offered at home, there are players from 27 other countries in the field of 112 players.
Notable amongst those, based on her performances in the first three tournaments and her lead on the Order of Merit, Lily May Humphreys of England. With finishes of third, fourth and eighth, she has been contending week-in and week-out and will surely put it all together soon.
Also from England, last week’s winner Hayley Davis showed great grit through windy conditions in Cape Town and will feel that playing on the highveld is a breeze after claiming a three-shot victory.
25th February 2022 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
More Sunshine Ladies Tour glory for Grant at Glendower
Linn Grant of Sweden turned it all on at Glendower Golf Club on Friday as she carded a superb seven-under-par 65 to pull clear for a two-stroke victory in the R1-million Jabra Ladies Classic.
Grant is certainly taking the Sunshine Ladies Tour tagline “Level Up” to heart, as this marked her second visit to the winner’s circle in her debut season, after she celebrated a maiden pro win in the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge at Fancourt a fortnight ago.
In the end, it was a bit of a race against time as the leaders cranked up the pace of play – as well as the quality – to beat in incoming highveld thunder storm. It took a buggy ride to their tees shots to play their approaches as quickly as possible.
Grant made two birdies in the final four holes in response to Paul Reto’s three birdies in three from the 13th to the 15th, and, when Reto bogeyed the 16th, the Swede took the gap and stretched out for the win
“We rushed on the 18th because we knew there was a storm coming in and we had been told we had 15 minutes or half an hour to make it in,” said Grant. “That was a little stressful.”
In fact, she felt things were stressful for most of the closing stretch as she did battle with Reto who had won so handily last week at Sun City. “I was very nervous, like for the last five holes,” said Grant. “I knew that we were tied for the lead for much of the time, and Paula holed a very long putt on 13, which tied it up again, so I was nervous, but it was fun too.”
It was a bogey-free effort for Grant, who turned in three-under 33 to move to six-under for the tournament, level with overnight leader Reto who turned in one-under 35.
Just before the turn, Grant had begun to apply the pressure with two of her birdies on that front nine coming on seven and eight. She put pedal to the metal after the turn with two successive birdies pulling her clear, while Reto made just pars after the turn.
Then came Reto’s run from 13 to 15, which drew her level after the 14th, and exchanged birdies on 15 kept them locked up at nine-under.
But once Reto made her bogey, Grant was able to close things out, denying the LPGA Tour player a double victory after her SuperSport Ladies Challenge success at Sun City last week.
Nobuhle Dlamini of Swaziland finished with a two-under-par 70 to be third on four-under, and Casandra Alexander endured a frustrating final round during which she birdied just one of the par-fives on her way to a three-under, and a share of third at three-under with reigning Investec South African Women’s Open champion Lee-Anne Pace.
Marine Legentil, the 2022 South African Women’s Amateur champion, edged reigning South African Women’s Stroke Play winner Kiera Floyd & SA Women’s Amateur finalist Kyra van Kan in a count-out on eight-over-par 224 for the Leading Amateur trophy.
For Grant, her South African campaign has been a vindication of hard work and of the decision to play here before launching herself on the Ladies European Tour.
“It’s been good, and I’ve seen that my game is headed in the right direction,” said 2021 Arizona State graduate. “One thing I’ve learned, especially from today, is that regardless of where you play, the competition against yourself kind of gets into your head a little bit and dealing with that well helps a lot.”
The Swede is taking a week off to explore the attractions in Cape Town before she returns to Fancourt to prepare for the two upcoming tournaments co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour – the €250 000 Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein Golf Club from 24 – 26 March, and the season-finale Investec South African Women’s Open in Cape Town. This year’s 72-hole event carries a purse of €290 000 and will be hosted by Steenberg Golf Club from 30 March-2 April.
24th February 2022 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Reto on the rise again at Glendower
Paula Reto edged into a two-stroke lead with a gritty putting performance on Thursday after a second round of four-under-par 68 at Glendower Golf Club in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Jabra Ladies Classic.
Home in South Africa to visit family, Reto will be heading back to the U.S.A to compete on the LPGA Tour after this week.
She comfortably won the SuperSport Ladies Challenge last week and her five birdies and a bogey on one of the most respected championship courses in South Africa took her to five-under for the tournament and a slim lead over first-round leader Linn Grant of Sweden.
“Today was a little up and down. I felt like the putter didn’t work as well as it has – only on the last few holes, actually,” said Reto.
“I was struggling with the lines a little bit, but the speed has been good. Yesterday as well, so I’ve been hitting some shots close, which is nice. I told myself I’ve got to keep on doing that, keep giving myself the opportunities, and a couple fell, and that changed the momentum a little bit.”
Behind her, Grant carded a level-par 72 with three birdies and three bogeys to stay at three-under for the tournament, and a stroke clear of Nobuhle Dlamini of Swaziland and reigning Investec South African Women’s Open champion Lee-Anne Pace on two-under.
Dlamini came racing through the field with a superb five-under-par 67, which included an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys, and Pace signed for a level-par 72.
In a share of fifth on one-under were Germany’s Caroline Kaufmann, Moa Folke of Sweden and Florentyna Parker of England. Four players tied for eighth finished a further stroke back, including two South Africans in Casandra Alexander and Cara Gorlei. The others on level-par were Nikki Hofstede of France and Germany’s Verena Gimmy.
GolfRSA No 2 Kiera Floyd followed an opening round of 72 with a 76 but managed to hold on the lead in the amateur line-up. The SA Women’s Stroke Play champion will start the final round in a tie for 17th alongside Sunshine Ladies Tour winners Stacy Bregman and Tandi McCallum, who both carded 72, and big-hitting Namibian Bonita Bredenhann, who signed for 74.
Reto got her round going with a run of five consecutive pars before making her first birdie on the par-three sixth. She dropped a shot immediately after that, however, but picked up another birdie on the eighth, and reached the turn in one-under-par 35.
Her homeward nine was bogey-free as she picked up birdies on 13, 15 and 18.
It was a good display for Reto’s family, there to get a rare chance to watch her in action in the flesh. “It’s cool having my family here supporting me,” she said. “I was a little nervous because I usually don’t play with my family watching me.”
She has attempted to put last week’s win behind her as she looks to try and win a second tournament in two weeks. “I tried to think of this week as a new week, because sometimes I get ahead of myself,” she said.
“So tomorrow, I just want to do more of the same thing. I do want to practice a little putting to make sure I can see my lines and get the speed. They’re breaking a little more than last week, and I think I’m still in last week’s putting mode.”
And, although she has yet to win on the LPGA Tour, winning, and contending here in South Africa is invaluable for her. “I’m getting a lot of confidence, especially from being able to see my shots and do what I want under pressure,” she said. “Doing it at home feels like a little bit more pressure, and this is building confidence that I can do it on the LPGA Tour too.”
16th April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Magnificent Macnab makes history in Jabra Ladies Classic
16 April 2021 – Reigning SA Women’s Amateur champion Caitlyn Macnab made South African golfing history on Friday when she powered to an eight-stroke victory in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower Golf Club.
In a scintillating final round, the 19-year-old GolfRSA No 1 sealed the victory in breath-taking fashion, firing five birdies on the back nine for a closing five-under-par 67.
In doing so, Macnab became the first amateur winner on the South African women’s professional golf circuit since Ashleigh Buhai (née Simon) lifted her second South African Women’s Open title in 2007.
“It’s awesome; it’s such a great feeling,” said Macnab with a smile that could light up the world.
The Ekurhuleni golfer had squandered a chance to rewrite the history books in season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open at Royal Cape Golf Club with a double bogey late in the final round, and she was absolutely delighted to pull it through in her home union.
“There is a lot more pressure when you play against the pros, and last week in Cape Town I didn’t really know what to expect heading into the final day with a share of the lead. This week I felt a lot more comfortable, and playing here at Glendower was great. It’s such a great course.
“I won the SA Women’s Stroke Play and the Match Play twice and I’ve represented South Africa a few times, so this ranks right up there with my greatest achievements. I am over the moon, because this is huge for me. The theme this year is #levelup and I feel I’ve done exactly that. Following in Ashleigh’s shoes is pretty special.
“I wanted to come out this season to build experience and to test myself. There are still a lot of amazing opportunities ahead this season, but it’s a fantastic feeling to get it done. I’m really grateful to my whole team for getting me here.”
Macnab began the final round with a one-shot lead over Lindi Coetzee and had a three stroke advantage over seasoned winner Lee-Anne Pace.
Two months ago, the Serengeti golfer showed her merciless side as she routed Megan Streicher 11 & 9 in the 36-hole match play final to successfully defend her SA Women’s Amateur title. The amateur was just as ruthless over the last nine holes at Glendower.
Having dropped a trio of shots in her outward loop, Macnab still had a three-shot advantage through the turn and she pulled away from the field with the clinical surge coming home. She notched birdied on the 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes to give herself an unattainable lead coming down the last hole.
“I started birdie, birdie, but I didn’t actually hit the ball great,” Macnab said. “My swing felt a little bit snappy, so I slowed it down and started driving it really well. I was able to avoid the errant shots that cost me in the previous rounds and the putts were dropping, which always helps.”
GolfRSA No 1 Caitlyn Macnab made history as the first amateur winner in 14 years on the South African women’s professional golf circuit when she powered to an eight-shot victory in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower Golf Club; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.
As an amateur, Macnab can’t share in the R600 000 purse on offer this week, but the historic achievement does earn her coveted spot in the field of the Jabra Ladies Open. The dual-ranking Ladies European Tour and LET Access Series event is also the qualifying tournament for the season’s fourth Major, the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France from 22-25 July.
“It’s a fantastic incentive from Jabra. Although I am leaving for Texas Christian University in August to take up a golf scholarship, competing in the Jabra Ladies Open will be an incredible opportunity to build more experience,” said Macnab.
Her 12-under-par total was ultimately eight shots better than her Grant Veenstra Golf Academy stable-mate Nicole Garcia and second-season professional playing partner Coetzee.
Garcia birdied both par fives on the back nine and reduced the gap to six shots with an eagle-two at the 16th, but a double bogey finish for a 68 saw her slip back to tie for second on four-under with Coetzee, who returned a 74.
Kelsey Nicholas, also in her second season in the pro ranks, carded a 71 to grab a share of fourth alongside Pace, who signed for 77, while last year’s Investec Order of Merit winner Monique Smit finished in sixth spot on three-over.
The next stop for the Sunshine Ladies Tour campaigners is Sun City, where Lejan Lewthwaite will take up her title defence in the R400 000 SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International at the Gary Player Country Club from 21-23 April.
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15th April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Macnab on the march in Jabra Ladies Classic
15 April 2021 – Reigning SA Women’s Amateur champion Caitlyn Macnab will look to resist rising star Lindi Coetzee and seasoned champion Lee-Anne Pace as she bids for the Jabra Ladies Classic title in Friday’s final round at Glendower Golf Club.
The 19-year-old GolfRSA Elite Squad player fired a sparkling four-under-par 68 on a cool, but windless conditions to charge to a one-shot lead, ending the day on seven-under. She leads Coetzee by one shot, and finished three shots ahead of Pace.
Macnab began the second round one shot behind early leader Kyra van Kan and superb approach play saw her notch four birdies in the first five holes. She sandwiched a birdie between bogeys on the seventh and eighth holes and interrupted a string of pars on the homeward loop with a lone birdie on the par-five 13th.
But Macnab was quick to state that she hadn’t been at her best.
“I hit it long on seven and had a very difficult chip, and I hit a bad approach shot into nine that resulted in another bogey, but it was a pretty solid run over the first nine holes,” said Macnab. “After the turn I struggled to get the putts to drop and I had to scramble for pars on 16 and 17, but all in all, a decent round.”
Macnab will stick to the same winning game plan in Friday’s final round that won her the Champions of Champions title at Glendower in 2019 and the Open, Closed and Junior honours in the Ekurhuleni Women’s Open in October last year.
“The course is in beautiful condition, but it is set up quite a bit tougher than I am used to playing it on the amateur circuit. But I won’t adjust my game plan; I’ll just try to limit the mistakes and avoid the errant shots that cost me some shots today.”
Coetzee, who lifted the Jackie Mercer Trophy as the leading amateur in the 2018 Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club, racked up five birdies and was level with Macnab with one hole to play, but an untimely bogey on the closing hole for a 68 cost her a share of the lead.
“It was a good round; I kept it in the fairways, hit the greens and kept it bogey free right up to the 18th hole,” she said. “I struggled with the driver all day and on the last hole, I pulled my tee shot into the trees. I had a shot, but I didn’t execute it well and clipped a branch. I got a lucky break and had a decent lie. I hit my third on the green and two-putted, but the way I see it, it was a solid drop and it could have been much worse.”
The 21-year-old Magalies Park golfer is excited at the prospect of joining Macnab and Pace in the leading match on Friday.
“Caitlyn and I go way back and she is always a pleasure to play with, but I am really looking forward to playing with Lee-Anne. We have so much to learn from her and I’ve always admired her swing and her demeanour on the course. Anything I can learn from her will help me to level up.”
Pace once again made a slow start, but the nine-time Ladies European Tour winner kicked it up a gear coming home. She made three birdies on the bounce from the par-four 11th and picked up another shot on the par-five 15th, before also letting one slip on the par-four 18th.
“It was slow at the start, but I made a very good up-and-down for bogey on the ninth and that got me going,” she said after successive rounds of 70. “I managed to get the putts to the hole on the back nine and made some birdies, so I’m very happy with the round.
“I won’t change much going into the final round. I’ll try to take advantage of the par-fives; they are playing a little easier and you can reach them. Those are definitely the scoring holes. I am pretty aggressive with my irons, but it is vital that you drive the fairways at this course. I’ll aim for the fairways first, and work out my strategy from there.”
The outcome on Friday would be significant for all three leading players as they try to take their games to the next level.
For Pace, a 14th Sunshine Ladies Tour title and 24th professional career victory will be a big shot of confidence as she prepares for the 2021 Ladies European season. For Coetzee, a maiden win in the R600 000 showpiece would mean a major leg up in the 2021 Investec Order of Merit race and the chance to compete in the Jabra Ladies Open.
There is no financial incentive for Macnab, but to become the first amateur to win on the local professional circuit since Ashleigh Buhai won her second South African Women’s Open title in 2007, will be reward enough.
Unfortunately it was the end of the road for first round leader Kyra van Kan.
The Glendower amateur followed an opening 68 with a round of 76 to tie seasoned professionals Stacy Bregman, Nicole Garcia and Monique Smit for fourth on level-par. However, she forgot to sign her scorecard and was disqualified from the tournament. A tough lesson for Ekurhuleni junior but at 15, she has many years ahead and she will surely bounce back from the disappointment.
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14th April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
GolfRSA duo throws down gauntlet at Glendower
14 April 2021 – The Sunshine Ladies Tour challenged its participants this season to #LevelUp, but on the opening day of the R600 000 Jabra Ladies Classic, it was talented GolfRSA squad members Kyra van Kan and Caitlyn Macnab who stepped up to plate.
Macnab, South Africa’s No 1 ranked amateur, already sounded a warning with a fourth place finish in the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open and, not surprisingly, the reigning SA Women’s Amateur champion laid down an early marker again.
Confident at the course where she lifted the 2019 Champion of Champions and the 2020 Ekurhuleni Womens Open titles, the 19-year-old Serengeti golfer mixed four birdies with a lone bogey for a solid three-under-par 69 to finish in second, a shot ahead of Lee-Anne Pace, second-season professional Lindi Coetzee and Astrid Vayson de Pradenne from France in joint third.
But even the country’s leading amateur was upstaged on the day by 15-year-old Van Kan, whom she beat in the 2020 SA Women’s Amateur final.
“I’m actually a little overwhelmed,” admitted the junior after a birdie-birdie finish propelled her to the summit on four-under. “I knew I was putting together a good round, but I hardly expected to be leading.”
The GolfRSA B-Squad member kept a clean card on her outward loop and turned two-under. “I had a bit of stumble after the turn, but I was able to eliminate both bogeys.
“I teethed it in the bunker on the first and made a good up-and-down for bogey, but I holed a birdie putt on the third to get back to two-under. On the fourth, I had a silly three-putt, but birdied the next hole. Going to the eighth tee I had no idea what was leading. I hit an okay drive, laid up with a 6-iron and pitched a sand-wedge close for birdie.
“When we got to the ninth tee, the nerves showed up. I smashed a drive with a baby draw and my caddie and I didn’t see where it ended up. We both burst out laughing when we found it just short of water. I guess the adrenaline was really flowing. I wedged it close and holed the putt. That’s when I found out I was leading.”
Although Glendower is her home course, Van Kan had to adjust her game considerably to navigate the set-up. “The course is playing a lot longer that I am used to, so although I know the greens and the bounces well, I couldn’t really count on the home course advantage.
“I had to adjust for the length, like on the seventh. I would usually hit driver, 9-iron or pitching wedge, but I had to hit driver, 3-wood on that hole. It was a learning curve, and I am really pleased that I could raise my game. My playing partners, Lauren Taylor from England and Lenanda van der Watt, were great and really helped me to get comfortable quickly on this the big stage.”
Joining Macnab and Pace in the leading match on day two could be intimidating, but the Bedfordview teenager is excited at the prospect of playing alongside two of her golfing heroes.
“I know Cat really well as we both play for Ekurhuleni and I’m excited to play with Lee-Anne. She has been a big inspiration for us juniors and it should be another great learning opportunity for me,” said Van Kan. “I am going to stick to my game plan and the way I approached the course today. Keep a positive mindset and play the course to the strengths of my game.”
LPGA Tour champion Lee-Anne Pace will start the second round of the Jabra Ladies Classic just two off the pace after an opening two-under-par 70 at Glendower Golf Club; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Pace will be the one to watch on moving day.
The Paarl golfer has collected 13 trophies on the local circuit in addition to nine Ladies European Tour titles and success on the LPGA Tour. She started on the 10th and was two-under and bogey-free through 12 holes when she made successive bogeys on four and five, which she overturned with a brace of birdies on the seventh and eighth holes.
Spain’s Maria Beautell, Sweden’s Anna Magnusson and Michaela Fletcher share sixth on one-under, with five-time champion Stacy Bregman a further shot back in joint ninth with Nina Pegova from Poland and Belgium’s Charlotte de Corte.
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13th April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
French winners target more success at Jabra Ladies Classic
DOWERGLEN, 13 April 2021 – A six-strong French delegation led by 2019 champion Anne-Lise Caudal will be targeting more Sunshine Ladies Tour success when the Jabra Ladies Classic tees off at Glendower Golf Club from 14-16 April.
The French clique will be among 31 international golfers representing 13 countries hoping to deny the local line-up a home victory in the R600 000 showpiece.
Caudal will draw on the positive memories of her 2019 win at the acclaimed Dowerglen championship course.
“Winning the first Jabra Ladies Classic will definitely always stand out as one of the best weeks of my career,” said the former Ladies European Tour (LET) winner, who broke a seven-year winning drought to capture the inaugural title by two shots.
“The Sunshine Ladies Tour plays such a vital role in our preparation for the LET season and we were extremely pleased when Jabra extended their fantastic support of women’s golf to South Africa. I had so many close calls on the Sunshine Ladies Tour over the years and to finally pull it through it in a Jabra event was very special. Hopefully I can do it again this week.”
Compatriot Manon Gidali is also targeting a repeat performance, following her maiden win in last week’s Cape Town Ladies Open.
The 27-year-old Parisian drained a 25-foot clutch putt on the 18th hole in a play-off at Royal Cape Golf Club to beat South Africa’s Cara Gorlei for glory in the season-opener.
“I only competed in the Investec South African Women’s Open before and I am really happy that I decided to play the full Sunshine Ladies Tour this year. The win has sunk in now and I am eager to see if I can win two this season. It would be a dream start to 2021,” said Gidali.
Young gun Ivanna Samu hopes to celebrate her comeback to professional golf with strong performance in the Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower Golf Club from 14-16 April; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour
South African rising star Ivanna Samu warns that the South African young guns have even more reason to raise their games this week with a fantastic incentive from Jabra on the table.
“A lot of the younger girls had planned to compete on the international mini-tours or to go to qualifying schools for the LPGA or LET and everything was put on ice by the pandemic,” Samu said. “The Sunshine Ladies Tour not only gives us an opportunity to get back on track, but the leading player in the top five this week who is not already exempt on the LET will get to play in the Jabra Ladies Open.
“That is a huge incentive, because the Jabra Ladies Open is the qualifying tournament for the Evian Championship. The international players will have to bring their A-game to keep us at bay.”
For the 20-year-old Supreme Golf Academy player the 2020 season was particularly trying, as she had to delay her comeback to competitive golf once again.
“I made a really great start to my pro career on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, but then I suffered a series of setbacks. A back injury took me out of the game for months, and I lost another year when I battled with cancer. Then the pandemic stole last year, so I am raring to go.”
Samu said the challenges over the last two years have taught her some important lessons.
“I was used to dominating and winning as an amateur, and turning pro was a much bigger learning curve than I expected. The last two years have taught me to dial back my expectations; to be patient and to take things one day at a time.
“I’m really looking forward to returning to Glendower. It’s one of my most favourite courses and the layout sets up nicely for me, but I am also taking that philosophy on to the golf course. Don’t look too far ahead, but rather play shot-for-shot and hole-by-hole.”
Gorlei, too, has put the disappointment of last week’s play-off loss in the rear-view mirror.
“I drew a lot of positives from Royal Cape. I had to come from behind to get myself in the play-off. Now I just need to step it up another level,” said the 25-year-old Arkansas University graduate.
South Africa’s No 1 ranked Caitlyn Macnab, coming off a fourth place finish in the Cape Town Ladies Open, will lead the 11-strong amateur challenge at the layout where she lifted the 2020 Ekurhuleni Open and the 2019 GolfRSA Champion of Champions titles.
Other amateurs to watch include 2020 Swiss Junior National champion Elena Moosmann, Amanda Majsterek from Poland and Ekurhuleni junior Kiera Floyd, who impressed with a third place finish in the first edition of the Jabra Ladies Classic.
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
29th January 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
New dates set for 8th Sunshine Ladies Tour season
The Sunshine Ladies Tour announced its revised schedule for the 2021 season and will launch in April with a bumper run of six events, including an exciting format change for the season finale Investec South African Women’s Open.
“While the country was still in the throes of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in January, we took a decision for the safety of our players to postpone the start of our eighth season. Our amazing sponsors, partners and host venues embraced this decision and we are excited to announce the new dates, starting in April,” said Sunshine Ladies Tour General Manager Pauli van Meersbergen.
The Cape Town Ladies Open will kick off the season at Royal Cape Golf Club from 7-9 April. Over the next four weeks, the tour will travel to Gauteng, Sun City and the Garden Route before returning to the Mother City for the season-finale.
The Jabra Ladies Classic celebrates its third season on the Sunshine Ladies Tour at Glendower Golf Club from 14-16 April, followed by the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International at the Gary Player Country Club from 21-23 April.
The sixth Joburg Ladies Open returns to its home at Soweto Country Club from 28-30 April and the annual Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am – played concurrently with the Sunshine Tour’s Challenge Tour co-sanctioned Dimension Data Pro-Am – takes place from 7-9 May in George, before the tour circles back to the Mother City for the final showpiece.
“The Investec South African Women’s Open will once again be co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour,” Van Meersbergen added.
“Our flagship event will carry a prize fund of €200 000 (approximately R3.6-million) and Westlake Golf Club will host the event for a fourth consecutive year from 13-16 May. We are excited to announce that, for the first time on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, the tournament will be decided over 72 holes.
“We may be starting later than originally planned, but we are delighted to offer our members nearly R6-million in prize money, some exciting incentives and the race to the Investec Order of Merit bonus prize of R100 000.”
The 2021 Investec Order of Merit is based on a points system and the race for glory commences at the Cape Town Ladies Open and wraps up with the Investec South African Women’s Open.
Peta Dixon, Head of Sponsorships Investec SA, said:
“We at Investec take great pride in our involvement with the Sunshine Ladies Tour since 2014: Not only as the title sponsor of the Investec South African Women’s Open and the Investec Order of Merit, but also through our support of our players performing on the international stage. We strive to create platforms and opportunities that further develop women’s sport in South Africa and are proud of how The Sunshine Ladies Tour has grown in the last seven years. The increase in international participation speaks volumes of the high standard of competition.
“Thanks to the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s partnership with the Ladies European Tour, the format change of the Investec South African Women’s Open is now befitting the status of South Africa’s flagship event. As a 72-hole tournament, the Investec South African Women’s Open now joins the premier events on the international calendar.”
Margie Whitehouse, chair of the Women’s Professional Golf Association, said:
“We are very pleased for all the competitors that the 2021 season is going ahead. We look forward to seeing our top talents in action, to welcome the international campaigners to our shores and to offer our new crop of rookies and the young amateurs coming through the ranks a fantastic opportunity to gain invaluable experience to further their careers.”
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
* co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour
14th December 2020 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Sunshine Ladies Tour announces 2021 schedule
14 December 2020 – The Sunshine Ladies Tour today announced its 2021 schedule and women’s golf fans can look forward to six weeks of action, capped by the Investec South African Women’s Open from 18-20 March in the City of Cape Town.
The eighth season of the local women’s professional circuit launches with the Cape Town Ladies Open at Royal Cape Golf Club from 3-5 February.
Next up is the annual Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am from 12-14 February. The eighth edition will boast a purse of R600 000, with an additional R100 000 up for grabs for the leading 10 teams in the Better Ball Pro-Am competition. The first two rounds will be played at George Golf Club and the final round will be contested at the Outeniqua Course at Fancourt.
From George, the circuit travels to Sun City for the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International, where the immaculate Gary Player Country Club – host venue of the 2020 South African Open Championship – will once again serve up an exciting challenge from 24-26 February.
The Sunshine Ladies Tour then spends two weeks in Johannesburg for the Joburg Ladies Open and the Jabra Ladies Classic before returning to the Mother City for the season-finale showpiece.
The popular Joburg Ladies Open makes its sixth appearance on the circuit from 3-5 March and returns to the Soweto Country Club for a third successive year. The following week, the Jabra Ladies Classic celebrates its third edition at Glendower Golf Club.
Westlake Golf Club will bring down the curtain on what promises to be another exciting season of building women champions when it hosts the country’s flagship event for a fourth successive year. The Investec South African Women’s Open will once again be co-sanctioned between the Sunshine Ladies Tour and the Ladies European Tour and carry a prize fund of €200 000 (approximately R3.6-million).
“Although we have a slightly shortened schedule in 2021, we are excited to offer our players some wonderful incentives next year,” said Sunshine Ladies Tour General Manager Pauli van Meersbergen.
“The 2021 Investec Order of Merit will commence with the Cape Town Ladies Open. It will be based on a points system and the winner at the conclusion of the Investec South African Women’s Open will receive a bonus prize of R100 000.
“At this time, we are unable to confirm the incentives on offer to the winners of the Jabra Ladies Classic and the Investec South African Women’s Open. However, once confirmed by the Ladies European Tour, they could result in life-changing opportunities for our players.
“These incentives will add up to huge rewards for the players supporting the Sunshine Ladies Tour and will undoubtedly make for another highly competitive season of inspiring feats, rousing shot-making and contests to savour.”
Sunshine Tour Commissioner Thomas Abt said it is wonderful to see the Sunshine Ladies Tour continue as strong as ever, despite the hardships golf in South Africa experienced in 2020.
“Since the Sunshine Ladies Tour launched in 2014, the circuit has blossomed and grown into a wonderful stage where the next generation can cut their teeth and build experience competing against the top talents from South Africa and abroad,” said Abt.
“Over the last seven years, the tour has showcased the talents of international champions Ashleigh Buhai and Lee-Anne Pace and campaigners Stacy Bregman, Nicole Garcia and our 2020 Investec Order of Merit winner Monique Smit.
“The Sunshine Ladies Tour has also proven highly successful in building future champions, including Lejan Lewthwaite, Nobuhle Dlamini and Casandra Hall, who are all competing on the Ladies European Tour now. The next generation have also greatly benefitted from the experience of competing at this level, with the likes of Zethu Myeki, Kajal Mistry, Kaiyuree Moodley, Caitlyn Macnab and Kaylah Williams all excelling at amateur level.
“The Sunshine Ladies Tour increasingly draws a growing pool of international competitors, who come out to South Africa to take advantage of our weather, our great golf courses and a highly competitive circuit at the start of the year. And our partnership with the Ladies European Tour provide our local players great opportunities to gain access to the international stage. We look forward to another successful Sunshine Ladies Tour in 2021.”
Margie Whitehouse, chair of the Women’s Professional Golf Association, welcomed the announcement.
“We are delighted that the Sunshine Ladies Tour will celebrate its eight season in 2021,” said Whitehouse. “Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown, we will host a strong run of tournaments next year thanks to the incredible loyalty of our sponsors and partners.
“Globally, golf has proven itself as a sport that can be played safely. The South African golf industry has adapted quickly to manage the restrictions and has the operational experience and established GolfRSA Covid-secure practices to guarantee that the 2021 Sunshine Ladies Tour can tee off with great success next year.”
Peta Dixon, Head of Sponsorships Investec SA, said Investec is proud of their continued involvement with the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
“Investec threw its support behind the Sunshine Ladies Tour since its inception and it has been an encouraging and rewarding journey to witness the growth of the local women’s professional circuit over the last seven years,” Dixon said.
“Investec is honoured and delighted to partner the Sunshine Ladies Tour in showcasing the incredible talent of women in golf and to help our golfers achieve the opportunity to compete on the global stage. We are invested in the next generation of women and we believe that these athletes should be recognised for their dedication and achievements. As the title sponsor of the Investec South African Women’s Open and the Investec Order of Merit, we proudly promote the growth and development of South African women in sport.”
2021 SUNSHINE LADIES TOUR SCHEDULE
FEBRUARY
3-5 Cape Town Ladies Open
R200 000 / Royal Cape Golf Club
12-14 Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am
R600 000 / R100 000 Better Ball Pro-Am
George Golf Club / Outeniqua Course at Fancourt
24-26 SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International
R400 000 / Gary Player Country Club
MARCH
3-5 Joburg Ladies Open
R500 000 / Soweto Country Club
10-12 Jabra Ladies Classic
R600 000 / Glendower Golf Club
18-20 Investec South African Women’s Open*
€200 000 / Westlake Golf Club
* Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned