26th March 2022 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Dream Joburg Ladies Open win seals Grant’s SA hat-trick
It was a dream start to life on the Ladies European Tour (LET) for Linn Grant, as the Swedish star claimed a five-shot victory at the Joburg Ladies Open in her first start as a full member.
The victory for Grant was her third in the last month on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, having claimed success in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Dimension Data Ladies Challenge and Jabra Ladies Classic in February.
And she completed her South African hat-trick in style on Saturday, with the rest of the field having no answer for her incredible final round at Modderfontein Golf Club.
The 22-year-old from Helsingborg shared the lead with Spain’s Maria Hernandez on five-under at the 36-hole mark, but she was a cut above the rest over the last 18 holes, firing a six-under-par 67 to triumph on 11-under 208.
“It’s always nice to get a win; it feels amazing,” said the smiling Grant. “It was great to come to the Sunshine Ladies Tour before the LET season began to make the most of the good weather and get some practice in.
“I still feel like there’s some scary holes here, especially coming in on the back nine. You have to keep your shots together and there’s a couple of holes you have to look out for on the front nine as well, so I tried not to do anything stupid really.”
The 2017 Ping Junior Solheim Cup star showed no signs of nerves as she registered birdies on the first and second holes to create an early gap ahead of the chasing pack, before picking up another shot on the fifth to carve open a sizeable gap.
She immediately negated a bogey on the sixth with birdies on seven and eight, turning at nine-under with her nearest challenge, Kim Metraux, four shots back.
A fifth birdie from off the green on 13 took Grant to double digits, and with the gallery watching as she walked down the last, she picked up one more shot on the 18th, the latest in a series of perfectly executed approaches onto the final green setting up a grandstand finish.
Grant, who earned cards for the 2022 LET and LPGA Tour at Q-School last year, had already shown her calibre with two runner-up finishes in 2021, making the most of invitations to the Didriksons Skaftö Open and the Creekhouse Ladies Open.
“I feel like with the two events in Sweden last year I got used to the LET a bit, so coming here this week wasn’t that huge a gap to cross, but still it was my first event,” said Grant.
Despite a four-shot cushion on the last hole, she admitted to feeling a little nervy over the final approach shot and putt. But her second turned out to be one of the best of the day. “I was going to aim pin high and to the right, but I changed at the last minute to go for it. The putt wasn’t that short, so it was nervy, but I was so happy I got it done with a birdie.”
It was a career-best finish for left-hander Metraux in South Africa.
The Swiss star maintained her good form from Friday into the weekend and reeled in four birdies on her way to a final day score of 71 (-2), capitalising on the par five first, eighth and tenth holes to pick up shots on her way to a sole second finish.
“It was quite good. I made a few mistakes here and there, and I had a couple of lip-outs but I was pleased with how I played again,” said the 26-year-old Swiss golfer of her first top 10 finish since last September.
Nicole Garcia was the highest finishing South African, coming home in two-under 71 to tie for third alongside 2020 Investec South African Women’s Open Alice Hewson from England (72) and Hernandez (73).
Garcia began the day with back-to-back birdies to start her day, but bogeys on three and seven dropped her back to level par. She responded brilliantly with an eagle on the eighth and parred her way to successive top 10 finishes in as many LET tournaments this season.
“My strike was better today, but I couldn’t get any momentum going with the putter on the back nine,” Garcia said. “I am happy to see my game trend in the right direction, though and hopefully that trend continues to the Investec South African Women’s Open at Steenberg next week.”
Proudly South African, the Johannesburg-native welcomed the move from the City of Johannesburg to take the tournament to co-sanctioned status.
“The Joburg Ladies Open has always been really popular, and we local golfers are so incredibly grateful to Bongi Mokaba and the City of Johannesburg for this move. To have two chances to gain winner’s status on the LET is a huge incentive for us,” she said. “But you know, even if you don’t win, just to have the international competition on our shores for two weeks is massive, especially for the young pros who can’t afford to compete abroad.”
Investec stable-mate Stacy Lee Bregman and Alexandra Swayne from US Virgin Islands tied for seventh on two-under, while GolfRSA’s No 1-ranked amateur Isabella van Rooyen finished third highest a further two shot adrift in the tie for 11th.
Grant’s earlier victories on the Sunshine Ladies Tour moved her to the summit of the Investec Order of Merit, and she is virtually untouchable on 3 032 points, with Garcia her nearest challenger for the title on 1 224. The Swede also banked 500 points with the win to take pole position in the 2022 Race to Costa Del Sol alongside Aramco Saudi Ladies International winner Georgia Hall and Magical Kenya Ladies Open victor Esther Henseleit.
18th February 2022 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Reto romps to runaway victory at Sun City
While she wasn’t quite as rampant as in the second round, Paula Reto still romped home by 10 strokes after a closing one-under-par 71 in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s SuperSport Ladies Challenge, presented by Sun International at Sun City on Friday.
Her five birdies and four bogeys in the closing round at the Gary Player Country Club took her to 13-under-par for the tournament, with Casandra Alexander in a distant second on three-under-par after a closing round of two-over-par 74.
Sweden’s Linn Grant, last week’s winner of the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge, and reigning Investec South African Women’s Open champion Lee-Anne Pace shared third on two-under-par and Stacy Bregman and Romy Meekers from the Netherlands rounded out the top five on one-under.
“It means a lot,” said Reto of her first professional title in her home country.
“I’ve been getting lots of messages, especially from my family. It shows I can do it, and to do it here in my home country makes it that much bigger – one of my bigger wins, for sure.”
Reto battled her way through the front nine, finding things more difficult than they had been all week for her. She bogeyed the par-five fifth but regained that lost shot with a birdie on the very next hole. Bogeys on eight and nine meant she turned in two-over 38.
“There were lots of thoughts bouncing around in my head, and I was just trying to stay calm,” she said. “My breathing was a little off in the first couple of holes, and Casandra played so well. I needed to think whether I was supposed to press then. In the end, I decided to just keep doing what I was doing. After those bogeys on eight and nine, I turned and told myself that it was okay. I focused on the back nine and tried to see how many birdies I could get together.”
She regained some of her swagger with consecutive birdies on 10, 11 and 12. She picked up another shot on the par-three 16th, but then bogeyed the toughest hole on the course, the eighth. She kept her composure to make a closing par and run out an easy winner.
And it was the birdie on 11 which opened the doors for her.
“On 11, I hit a good drive on the correct side of the bunker, which I hadn’t managed to do on the first two days,” she said. “I tried to go for the green in two, but I hit it in the bunker. I got out of that to about a foot and made the putt for birdie. That gave me confidence for the next hole, because that tee shot is pretty tough as well.”
Behind her, after opening with a very threatening three consecutive birdies in the first three holes, Alexander reached the turn in three-under. That meant, at eight-under for the tournament, she was just two behind Reto at that stage and well in the fight. She bogeyed the 10th, which was a setback as Reto had picked up the pace, but she stayed in touch down the stretch until she made two double-bogeys in her final three holes.
Grant pieced together her best round of the week with a four-under 68, also the best score in the final round.
Pace, on the other hand, fought her way around the course to a three-over-par 75.
Meanwhile, GolfRSA’s No 1 ranked amateur Isabella van Rooyen held her own in the international company. The 18-year-old Clovelly golfer secured the Leading Amateur trophy with a joint 14th place finish after posting rounds of 75, 73 and 74.
For Reto, there is more to look forward to.
The fourth stop on the 2022 Sunshine Ladies Tour is the R1-million Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower Golf Club next week, where her opposition will no doubt be hoping she will be a little less dominant.
“The confidence I’ve gained is pretty big, especially going into next week,” she said, “but I’m still going to be doing my routines and focus on that, because I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. This will be the first time I’m going from a win to another tournament, so I don’t know how it will feel. But I’m just going to enjoy the feeling. I’ll have more family out there as well, and maybe that support will make the birdies fall.”
It’s the home support, but so much more that Reto will carry with her.
“From the minute I got here until now, I’ve just been enjoying it,” she said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I’ve done a little bit every day, from sight-seeing to trying different restaurants… everything is just so nice, and it’s a great culture here. I’m really grateful that I was able to experience it and come back. I was so much younger when I last saw it, and to come back and see how it has improved in so many cool aspects, it’s good to see.”
17th February 2022 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Rampant Reto pulls clear at Sun City
Paula Reto grabbed the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s SuperSport Challenge by the scruff of the neck on Thursday as she carded a seven-under-par 65 to stretch out to a seven-stroke lead after the second round at Gary Player Country Club.
The 31-year-old South African, who plays out of Coral Springs, Florida in the United States on the LPGA Tour, was playing just her second tournament round on one of South Africa’s top courses in her first Sunshine Ladies Tour appearance.
She made things look easy as she reached the turn in four-under-par 32 with four birdies. Although she dropped a shot on the tough par-four 17th, four more birdies on her homeward nine put her into a commanding lead.
Sharing second in the R1.3-million event were Casandra Alexander (nee Hall), playing in her first event of the 2022 season after getting hitched earlier this month, and reigning South African Women’s Open champion Lee-Anne Pace.
Alexander signed for a four-under-par 68, while Pace had a two-under 70 as the pair moved to five-under for the tournament.
For Reto, coming to terms with the greens meant she was able to go even lower than her opening five-under 67. “One of the things that stood out today was the putting,” she said. “I saw a few more lines than I did yesterday when I kept leaving it short. My distance control was also good, and I hit a couple of close ones as well, so I had a couple of tap-ins which helps to go low. Other than that, I was relatively consistent.
“I had so much fun today – you know, one shot at a time, staying in the moment, that kind of thing. That really helps me kind of hone in on what I’m doing at the time, and then a couple of putts dropped early on to give me some confidence.”
Alexander, who won the Joburg Ladies Open last year, used her distance off the tee to good effect with an eagle on the par-five fifth. She also made three birdies and a bogey for a second round that was topped only by Reto.
“I played great today,” said Alexander. “I left a few out there when I missed a couple of one-metre putts for birdie. Other than that, I kept it very tidy and only had one bogey for the day. I actually played just as well yesterday, but I made a few more drops so it wasn’t as impressive a score. I’m feeling good.”
Getting married has meant her season has had a slightly disjointed start, but she’s not complaining. “We had our wedding in Pretoria,” she said. It was very, very hot. It was a great day though. I won’t do it again though. I’m done now! I’m sorry to have missed the SunBet Cape Town Ladies Open and the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge, but it’s just one of those things. Getting two good rounds under the belt gives me confidence,” she added.
Reto is also confident after such a good start. “I’m going to try and do the same thing – sort of visualise my shots and keep it simple, and I feel like I’ll do well,” she said.
Behind the front-runners, Cara Gorlei carded a three-under-par 69 to move into fourth place, with Swaziland’s Nobuhle Dlamini carding a second successive level-par 72 to hold down fifth ahead of the final round.
GolfRSA No 1 Isabella van Rooyen, the leading amateur in the season-opening event at Royal Cape Golf Club, once again leads the amateur challenge. The Clovelly golfer carded a round of 73 to tie for 14th on four-over with Norway’s Michelle Forsland. The only other amateur to make the 36-hole cut was Kaylan Boshoff on five-over.
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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15th May 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Pace, Babnik weather Cape storms to lead SA Women’s Open
15 May 2021 – Lee-Anne Pace and Pia Babnik will take a one-shot lead into the final day of the Investec South African Women’s Open after tying on two-over in battling the conditions during the weather-affected third round at Westlake Golf Club on Saturday.
Pace was walking down the ninth fairway and Babnik about to tee off on the 10th tee when the hooter sounded for the second time in 90 minutes.
“We had only been out for 30 minutes after the previous suspension when they called us off again,” said Pace, who is hunting a record fourth title in the Sunshine Tour’s season-finale. “The wind and the driving rain were relentless; we had come off when the course became unplayable and had to suspend again, so they made a decision was made to call it a day.”
The nine-time European Ladies Tour champion began the day on one-over and a shot behind overnight leader Nicole Garcia, while the 17-year-old Slovenian rising star was three off the pace.
“I’m glad I hung in there,” said Pace, who started with four straight pars before she sandwiched a birdie between bogeys on the fifth and seventh holes.
“It’s one thing playing in wind, but the playing this course in wind and rain is extremely hard. I nearly blew away on six, and on seven. It was just a disaster and I think they’ve made a good call. I am not complaining, because I was looking at a really long second shot on the ninth. It will still be a long shot on Sunday morning, but at least I’m not having to hit it into the wind. It’s quite tight at the top, but I think it’s going to be an exciting final day.”
Pia Babnik during round three of the 2021 Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club; Credit Petri Oeschger/Sunshine Ladies Tour
Babnik, who is starting her second Ladies European Tour season in South Africa, showed great maturity in the tough conditions. She threaded together a string of pars and turned with a clean card that sported a birdie on the par-5 seventh.
Garcia, meanwhile, started with a pair of bogeys and let another shot slip on the par-4 fifth. She will resume her campaign on Sunday morning on three-over.
“I had a few bogeys, but overall, I stuck in there. I holed some crucial putts from six to eight to keep the momentum,” said the Serengeti golfer.
“It was more Scotland than South Africa out there, and I must admit I was relieved when called us off, because the balls began moving on the greens. I was pleased with my game, though. I stayed calm, kept the clubs dry and tried to hit as many good shots as possible.
“I’m not out of it by a long shot, but even if I don’t win, I’m still fighting for a top four finish to earn that spot to the U.S. Women’s Open.”
Leonie Harm got off with a great birdie start, but the German golfer dropped three shots mid-round.
She moved to four-over with a fourth bogey on the seventh and was tied for fourth with Agathe Sauzon from France when play was called. Sauzon had just birdied the par-4 10th.
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14th May 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Garcia gains ground at windy Westlake
14 May 2021 – Nicole Garcia will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Investec South African Women’s Open after the course showed its teeth on Friday.
Taking advantage of an early start, Garcia picked up three birdies in a second round 73 at Westlake Golf Club to set the early clubhouse target at level-par.
With first-round leaders Lee-Anne Pace and Lydia Hall starting day two on two-under, the Serengeti golfer was hoping to finish in the top three, but a brutal North Westerly that gusted up to 35km per hour in the afternoon helped the three-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner to the summit.
“I’m pretty happy with that,” said Garcia, who leads by one shot from three-time champion Pace and Germany’s Leonie Harm.
”If you had offered me rounds of 71 and 73 at the start of the week, I may have grumbled, but after the wind showed up on our back nine, I’m not complaining. It was pretty calm over the first 12 holes, but the last six holes played really tough. I suspected it would only get worse, but I didn’t expect to be leading. It’s a great position to be in with two rounds to play.”
Pace struck the ball well, but struggled for pace on the greens and she had a trio of three-putts in her round of 75 to finish joint second one-over. Harm, who also had a late start, made amends for back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12 with a brace of birdies on 16 and 17 for a round of 72.
Kylie Henry also showed her affinity for windy conditions with an eagle at the par-5 13th and the Scottish golfer finished the day in fourth, just two behind Garcia after carding 72.
Garcia enjoyed her best season on the Ladies European Tour in 2018, but after finishing 47th in the Race to Costa del Sol, a hip and back injury put paid to her hopes of chasing down a maiden win in 2019.
“I spent the bulk of the season on the bench after surgery,” she explained. “I began hitting balls and preparing for a comeback on the 2020 Sunshine Ladies Tour late in the year, and I was thrilled with how I performed over the seven weeks.”
Garcia enjoyed three top 10 finishes and added the Canon Serengeti Par-3 Challenge to her winning tally.
“I was ready to take Europe by storm, but we no sooner kicked off the Ladies European Tour season here at Westlake, or it was over, due to the international Covid-19 pandemic,” she said. “It was a huge blow. I managed to play It has been two very frustrating years, so I am seriously pleased to make a good start. My ticket is booked for Italy next week and I can’t wait to get back out there.”
Nicole Garcia took the 36-hole lead in the Investec South African Women’s Open with a round of 73 to top the leaderboard at Westlake Golf Club on level par; credit Shannon Naidoo.
Garcia described her round as a “fighter’s round”.
“I hit some really good shots off the tee, but I got a few unlucky bounces and had some soft drops. I made some really good clutch putts for birdies to recover and to keep the momentum going.
“The course is in the best condition I’ve ever played it, but it is playing very long. Every single tee box is off the tips. You have to hit fairways and greens to score here, but I think it’s a great test. It’s a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier, so if you get a spot, you know you will be able to contend. I just want to keep it together on the weekend to give myself a chance.”
Pace got a little hot under the collar when her group was put on the clock on the back nine.
“I played well, especially on the back nine. I was really getting into the zone and hitting good shots on difficult holes. It played really long and I was hitting a lot of 5-irons, 6-irons and 7-irons into the greens,” said the 40-year-old.
“Then we got put on the clock for no apparent reason. Obviously if you are slow, they have to warn us but no-one was waiting behind us. I got annoyed and lost a shot on the par-5 (16th), but I made two really good pars to finish.”
The nine-time Ladies European Tour champion, holing a huge putt on 17 to save par and keeping her bid for a record fourth title alive with another great par save on the closing hole.
“The putt on 17 was from the fringe and my caddie actually gave me the line, because I was still seeing red. And I made a really good up-and-down for par on the last. So still in it with two days to go.”
Sixty-six players will contest the final two rounds after the cut fell at 12-over, including Jabra Ladies Classic winner and South Africa’s leading amateur Caitlyn Macnab and recent Nomads SA Girl’s Rose Bowl champion Isabella van Rooyen.
Macnab is eight over after rounds of 77 and 75, and Van Rooyen is a further two shots adrift, having signed for rounds of 76 and 78.
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8th May 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Skarpnord seals stunning play-off win at Fancourt
8 May 2021 – Marianne Skarpnord sealed the Dimension Data Ladies Open title in stunning fashion after a final round 70 gave her the chance to emerge triumphant in a four-way play-off in George.
On a sun-drenched final day in the Sunshine Ladies Tour showpiece on the Montagu Course at Fancourt, the Norwegian clinched her 10th professional title with two massive birdie putts in a dramatic final hour of play.
The first birdie, which came on the 18th in regulation play, left her tied for second on one-under-par 215, alongside reigning Joburg Ladies Open champion Casandra Hall and former winner Lee-Anne Pace.
The second came after the trio watched in astonishment as Germany’s Olivia Cowan threw the trophy in the water.
Cowan, the overnight leader who started the day with a five-shot lead and needed just seven to seal the win, hit a great drive down the 18th and laid up with her second to leave herself a short iron into the island green.
She paid a hefty price for going for the flag when her ball spun off the green into the water. Visibly shaken, Cowan three-putted for a triple bogey 8 and signed for 79, which gave Skarpnord, Hall and Pace another shot at the title in the ensuing sudden death shoot-out.
The quartet headed back to the 18th and this time, all four players were on the dance floor in three.
2021 Dimension Data Ladies Challenge winner Marianne Skarpnord with her caddie at Fancourt; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Skarpnord used her magic wand and hit a birdie putt with perfect pace. The ball caught the edge of the hole and dropped, handing her the win.
The victory at Fancourt was her second on SA soil since she won the South African Women’s Open in 2013, and her first since she banked the Australian Ladies Classic title in 2019 for her fourth Ladies European Tour (LET) win.
“That was not even on the planet for me, to be honest,” said Skarpnord, who began the round seven shots off the pace. She offset three bogeys with a trio of birdies to finish level par for the day.
“I was so far behind at the start and still far behind at the end, so I was actually about to order lunch when one of the girls said she heard something happened on 18.
“I’d been finished for 30 minutes and I was a little stiff, but I was first off and of course, I started with a nice little pull in the trap. I got it out nicely, but I was in the rough with a bit of mud on the ball. With three other people trying, I had to go for it. I hit a nice wedge and a good putt and here we are.
“It was a surprise for me; for all of us really and it’s a shame that it happened this way. I would have loved to see Olivia win. She is a good golfer, but obviously she had a tough day. But her win it not far away. Obviously I am happy to be standing here, but it’s always a bit weird when it happens like that.”
However, it was also a timeous win for the 35-year-old Norwegian.
If Skarpnord can back up the win at Fancourt with another strong performance in the Investec SA Women’s Open at Westlake next week, she will definitely be on the radar of International team captain Catriona Matthews, who will make her Captain’s Picks for the Solheim Cup at the AIG Women’s Open.
Marianne Skarpnord receives the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge trophy from Werner Kapp, Chief Executive Officer Dimension Data Middle East Africa at Fancourt; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour
“The last few weeks have been amazing. It’s absolutely fantastic to start the season this way. It was completely unexpected, but I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t won for a few years and this has been one of the best weeks on tour and I’ve been on tour for a long time,” said Skarpnord.
Pace had a chance to extend the play-off, but her birdie putt slid just past the hole, while Hall’s effort overshot the cup. But joint second means the South African pair keep their one-two positions on the Investec Order of Merit heading into the season-finale in Cape Town next week.
Pace leads the rankings on 1,353 points, with Hall a little over 100 points behind on 1,213.
SuperSport Ladies Challenge winner Michaela Fletcher, who retired with an injured shoulder in the final round, sits in third on 821.50. Skarpnord overtook Nicole Garcia for fourth with 744 points.
The Investec South African Women’s Open will draw the curtain on the 2021 season.
The event is co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour and will also serve as the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier this year. The championship carries a purse of €200 000 and will be contested over 72 holes at Westlake Golf Club from 13-16 May.
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7th May 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Cowan takes pole at Dimension Data Ladies Challenge
6 May 2021 – Olivia Cowan will go in search of a maiden Sunshine Ladies Tour title on the final day of the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge at Fancourt after emerging from the pack in Friday’s second round.
Cowan, who made a late call to compete in the show-stopper on the Garden Route, started her campaign with a one-over-par 73 on the Montagu Course.
Four off the pace at the start of the day, the 25-year-old German made the most of her sponsor’s invitation on the Outeniqua Course, firing a stunning nine-under-par 63 to reach eight under for the tournament.
In a flawless performance, Cowan backed up an eagle start on the par-5 11th with seven birdies, including three on the bounce coming home.
She will take the largest 36-hole lead into the final round this season, with Emie Peronnin from France, three-time champion Kim Williams and eSwatini’s Nobuhle Dlamini tied for second.
Peronnin and Williams both carded 71s on the Montagu.
Dlamini, also playing the Montagu, was four behind overnight leader Tonje Daffinrud after an opening 73 on the Outeniqua course. At the turn, the 2019 champion looked very much like the player to catch Cowan after she birdied the third and eagled two par fives – four and 10. However, the only time she broke par coming home was with a bogey on 14th and a 68 left her in the three-way tie on three-under.
Cowan was understandably pleased with the day’s result.
“That was so much fun, especially after the start I had,” Cowan said. “I holed out for eagle on the first and birdied the next hole. I turned to my caddie and said: ‘Today we’re going to go low’ and I managed to keep the momentum going.”
Cowan put some space between herself and the pack with further birdies on 14 and 18 for an outward half of 31 and increased her advantage with a trio of birdies from the fifth.
“It could have been 10 under, but my birdie on 10 lipped out,” she said. “It was a bit unexpected, if I’m honest. I didn’t strike it very well on the Montagu and I wasn’t hitting it well on the range this morning. But those first two holes really set me up and I kept it going with good iron play and putting. Yeah, it was a lot of fun out there.”
Scotland’s Kylie Henry (69) and Astrid Vayson de Pradenne from France (72) tied for fifth on two-under and the internationally-flavoured leaderboard continued, with local favourite and former winner Monique Smit the only South African in the four-way tie at one-under.
Smit carded 72 to tie Norwegian pair, former SA Women’s Open champion Marianne Skarpnord (70) and Daffinrud (74), and Katerina Vlasinova from the Czech Republic.
Vlasinova was one-under when play had to be suspended due to darkness. The Czech golfer, Pasqualle Coffa from the Netherlands and Lora Assad will complete the round at 07h30 on Saturday. Following the cut to 30 and ties, the final round will be played on the Montagu course.
Cowan is looking forward to another strong performance to cap the week in George.
The Ladies European Tour campaigner kicked off her 2020 season in South Africa with a tie for seventh in the Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake. The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic put paid to her hopes of winning a maiden title last year, but Cowan is holding out hope that 2021 will be season that delivers the breakthrough.
“The 2020 season was basically a write-off, but I am positive for this year. That’s why I came out earlier to use this week as preparation for the start of the Race to Costa del Sol in Cape Town and it would be great to leave Fancourt on a winning note,” Cowan said.
“The Montagu is the tougher of the two courses for me, because it plays longer and you can’t really fire at the pins. I managed to avoid bogeys today, which always sets you up for a better score, so that will be the strategy for tomorrow – hit fairways, hit greens, make putts and eliminate mistakes.”
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
6th May 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Daffinrud darts to the top in Dimension Data Ladies Challenge
GEORGE, 6 May 2021 – Norwegian Tonje Daffinrud birdied the last two holes to break away from the pack and surge to the top of a congested first round leaderboard in the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge in George on Thursday.
With the field split between two of the three courses at Fancourt over the first two rounds, Daffinrud was the surprise leader after carding a three-under-par 69 on the less than giving Montagu course.
She will carry a slender one-shot lead into her second round at the Outeniqua course, where all six players tied for second recorded two-under 70 rounds on day one.
Teeing off in the afternoon field, the 29-year-old Ladies European Tour campaigner opened with a birdie on the par-5 10th. She dropped her only shot of the day at the par-4 15th, but got it back to level with a birdie on the third before closing out her round with a brace of gains.
“I didn’t actually make a lot of putts until the back nine, but my iron-game was pretty solid and I hit them close,” said the Oslo golfer. “The course was definitely softer after all the rain overnight and that helped. We only had overcast skies and occasional drizzles, so that was good, too. But it was definitely the iron game that saved me.”
Daffinrud made her debut on Africa’s premier women’s professional circuit at Soweto Country Club last week, where she tied for eighth in the Joburg Ladies Open.
“It feels pretty good to be in contention. I worked really hard during the winter and it’s my first time playing in South Africa. Fancourt is an amazing facility and I am looking forward to playing the course on Friday. I am really enjoying myself here in South Africa and my game is feeling pretty good. It’s absolutely amazing to be playing tournament golf again.”
South Africa’s Kim Williams fired a two-under 70 on the Outeniqua Course at Fancourt to finish one off the pace in the first round of the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour
Another afternoon starter, Kim Williams, joined Stacy Bregman as the only two South Africans in the six-way tie for second.
The three-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner made three birdies on the bounce from the fourth and edged into the outright lead with a birdie on the eighth.
“I had two soft bogeys coming home, but I’m really happy with the round,” said Williams. “I have been striking the ball really well since the start of the season, but not scoring because the putter just stayed cold. Today it finally came to the party and it was fun out there for a change.
“It was quite a shock at the start of the round to see how differently the course played to the practice round. It had softened up quite a bit and the greens were holding. They were quite firm yesterday, but today your iron shots either sat or you got one bounce and it would spin back.
“I hit some really good irons today and the putter did the rest. Both my bogeys were soft drops, where I short-sided myself. I had no green to work with on 10 and on 14 I hit 6-iron and pulled it left on the wrong side of the green. That green has a lot of slope, so I wasn’t too upset with the outcome.
“I may have to take my putter to bed tonight to keep it warm for the Montagu, because that’s a much tougher test. The greens have way more slope and positioning is key to scoring on that side. But it feels really great to shoot a competitive score again, and that before we head to Cape Town next week for the Investec South African Women’s Open.”
Bregman, who lifted the title in 2015, offset a lone bogey with three gains to square up with Williams, French pair Emie Peronnin and Astrid Vayson de Pradenne, and Dutch golfer Romy Meekers.
Last year’s Investec Order of Merit winner Monique Smit also made a strong start as she pursues a first win this season, and a second victory in the Dimension Data Challenge. The popular Oubaai golfer carded 71 on the Montagu to tie for third on one-under with Tandi McCallum and the Czech Republic’s Katerina Vlasinova, who both played Outeniqua.
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
29th April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Hall in hot pursuit of Pace in Joburg Ladies Open
29 April 2021 – Casandra Hall will be hounding Lee-Anne Pace as the LPGA Tour champion chases a record 14th Sunshine Ladies Tour title in the final round of the Joburg Ladies Open on Friday.
Pace carded a two-over 74 on a battling day in the wind at Soweto Country Club to finish on two-under 142. She leads by two from Hall, who returned a level par round of 72.
The 21-year-old Glendower golfer finished third in her first playing of the R500 000 event at its new home in Soweto and were it not for a pair of double bogeys in last year’s final round, Hall would have post a top seven finish.
She began the day four shots behind overnight leader Pace, but a flawless front nine that featured three birdies on the bounce from the fourth pushed her into the lead. She kept in front of the pack with another gain on the par five 10th, but immediately lost the advantage with a bogey on the next hole and she left the door open for Pace with a trio of bogeys from 15.
“There are a lot of positives to take out of the round, because I really played the first 10 holes well. It was all going my way. I was putting myself in the right positions, but the back nine started off just a little bit slow,” said the 2020 Investec Royal Swazi Sun Ladies champion.
“I birdied 10 and wouldn’t say it went downhill from there, but I hit good shots and got some very unlucky bounces. It happens on this golf course. The bounces went my way on the front, not so much on the back.”
Hall said the windy conditions made club selection on the last nine holes extremely tricky.
“The greens are still very firm, so you can’t really attack the pins, especially not the ones on the front of the greens. They are a little softer and easier to score on in the mornings, but they dry out in the afternoon.
“The fairways are running really nicely, though, and that leaves you a lot of short irons in. The course is not playing very long, but with the wind blowing on the back, it was that much longer and harder to score. You’re never going to stop the ball downwind on these greens. I’m a little disappointed but I’m still in a strong position with 18 holes to go.”
Pace was equally frustrated, but more with herself than the course.
“No, I am not happy about my day,” said the nine-time Ladies European Tour champion. “I feel like I played really well, but I didn’t stick it close and I hit the wrong clubs all day. At least I came back with three birdies in a row from 12, which was nice.
“It’s a tough course anyway and when the wind comes up like it did today, it only gets tougher out there. We were playing a two-club wind on the last couple of holes, and stopping anything downwind on the firm greens is a challenge.
“With a difficult course like this, you really have to play strategically and the wind made club selection really difficult. I made a mistake on 15 where I should have hit driver and gone for the green, but I laid up and paid the price. And took another wrong club on 17 and dropped again. I got a little annoyed with myself, but I’m happy that at least I am still up there.”
She is happy, though, with her overall game.
“I’m really happy with the way I’m swinging it,” said the 40-year-old. “I am striking the ball as good as I ever have and really shaping my shots nicely. The only thing really bothering me is this annoying sore toe. I bumped my foot against the bed post last week and it is very uncomfortable. But I will be going for a MRI next week and hopefully it’s nothing too serious. I’m building some nice momentum for the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge and the Investec SA Women’s Open and I’d be gutted if I had to put the brakes on my season right now.”
Paulsen matched Pace’s 74 to sit alone in third on one-over
Three-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner Nicole Garcia returned a round of 72 to finish in fourth place on two-over. The Ebotse golfer is one shot ahead of last week’s SuperSport Ladies Challenge winner Michaela Fletcher and French pair Justine Dreher and Astrid Vayson de Pradenne.
Last year’s winner Monique Smit also played the second in level par, to finish on five-over alongside 2019 champion Nobuhle Dlamini, who shot 77. The pair share eighth place with Manon Gidali, who won the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open, her compatriot Emie Peronnin and Kristyna Napoleaova from the Czech Republic.
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.