23rd April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Full marks for maiden winner Fletcher
23 April 2021 – Former Memphis Tiger star Michaela Fletcher won a lot of golf tournaments in a storied amateur career. Now she’s a winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
And the 25-year-old Maritzburg golfer broke her professional duck in the most magnificent style at the iconic Gary Player Country Club on Friday.
A pin-seeking chip from 30 feet across the water at the par-five 18th dropped dead centre and the resulting birdie for a final round one-under 71 sealed Fletcher’s her maiden success in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, presented by Sun International.
“First and foremost, the satisfaction of being able to play under the gun and win is amazing. Having played amateur golf most of my career, this is what I’ve dreamt of doing since I joined the pro ranks last year. I’m so thrilled with this result,” said the elated winner.
Fletcher began the final day on four-under and triumphed one shot better, but she was pushed to the end by Nobuhle Dlamini, who shared the overnight lead, and last week’s Jabra Ladies Classic champion, amateur Caitlyn Macnab, who started the day two shots off the pace.
“Warming up on the range this morning I wasn’t really hitting it well,” said Fletcher.
“I went out there and just trusted my game plan. I knew going into the final round that Cat and Nobby are longer hitters, so it was really important that I trusted myself and my own game.”
While she couldn’t match Dlamini and Macnab’s booming drives, Fletcher edged in front and held on to pole with superb approach shots and a hot putter. The trio turned with Fletcher in front on five-under, Macnab one behind and Dlamini a further shot adrift.
Fletcher was solid with five straight pars to start the inward loop, while her playing partners traded birdies for bogeys.
Then, with four holes to play, Dlamini made three bogeys on the bounce and fell way, but Macnab pulled within a shot of her lead when Fletcher bogeyed the par four 15th hole.
“I knew they would both go for the green in two at the last hole and they did,” Fletcher said. “I went from not striking the ball well to striping it down the middle. I thought about going for it, but I had left myself at an awkward distance. So I stuck to the game plan and laid up. I had to take a longer club, though. When I got to the ball, I was so relieved that it was short of the water and I was safe.”
Her caddy offered some paternal advice and Fletcher obliged.
“My dad turned to me and said: ‘Look to make it; you can make this’. I’ve been chipping really well all three days and I caught it just perfectly. I was just really happy to watch the ball disappear down the hole.”
Macnab’s two-putt birdie for a 70 handed her second on her own at four-under. Dlamini also made a four on the closing hole and a round of 74 earned her a share of third alongside Denmark’s Linette Holmslykke, who signed for 69.
The Sunshine Ladies Tour is three-for-three with their #LevelUp campaign for the 2021 season, as Macnab and Fletcher followed in the footsteps of French golfer Manon Gidali, who claimed her first pro win in the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open.
Fletcher was overjoyed to cross join the maiden winner’s circle.
“Things got a little hairy towards the end; the cracks in the swing showed up under pressure and I doubted myself just a bit, but I’m proud of the way I just grinded through,” said the former Memphis Tigers standout. “At the end of the day, golf doesn’t always have to be pretty; you just have to get it in the hole. I’m happy with the way that I played under the circumstances.”
With three events to go, she hopes to raise her game to an even higher level.
“I’ve proven to myself that I really belong here. Lockdown really tested me. It was a really tough year leading up to this and I am so proud. I grinded through a really tough swing change in the lockdown, and today, I grinded my way to the win,” she said.
“When things got difficult, I never felt sorry for myself. I never gave up. I worked with what I had and won, and that is a huge confidence booster for me. My amateur days were good, but my pro days are going to be even better.”
The Sunshine Ladies Tour’s next stop is Soweto Country Club and the R500 000 Joburg Ladies Open.
The circuit then swings through the Garden Route for the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge at Fancourt, before it returns to the Mother City for the season-finale Investec South African Women’s Open, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour at Westlake. The €200 000 national Open doubles up this year as one of the qualifying event for golf’s biggest Major, the U.S. Women’s Open.
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
22nd April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Fletcher eyes maiden win at Sun City
22 April 2021 – Maritzburg’s Michaela Fletcher produced a stunning seven-under-par 65 on Thursday to lead a Sunshine Ladies Tour event for the first time in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, presented by Sun International, at Sun City.
The 25-year-old former Memphis Tigers standout fired eight birdies at the Gary Player Country Club to set the early clubhouse target at four-under, before Nobuhle Dlamini joined her at the summit.
Having offset two bogeys and a double at the par-three 13th with five birdies, a gain on the par four 17th saw the 2018 champion sign for a round of 70, and a share of pole position.
Fletcher began the second round six shots adrift of overnight leader Caitlyn Macnab on three-under, but she began chipping away at the deficit with birdies on the third and fourth holes. Another brace of birdies on the eighth and ninth holes saw her turn four-under.
Superb iron-play on the par fours – 12, 13 and 14 – set her up for three further gains, but she lost a shot to the field her first bogey of the day at the short 16th.
“I made a right mess of that hole, but ’m happy that I amends with a birdie finish,” said Fletcher. “It was a really good round. I struck the ball really well both rounds, but the difference was that the putts dropped today.”
Fletcher was the first Tigers women’s golfer to advance to the NCAA Championships, doing so in 2015. She was also a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier during her four year stint at the University of Memphis.
She joined the pro ranks on the Sunshine Ladies Tour last year. “I had a fantastic time at college, but I was really ready to turn pro,” said Fletcher, who ranked 15th in the Investec Order of Merit after scoring top 20 finishes in her seven starts.
“I had planned to return to the United States to build experience on the feeder circuits, but when the country went into the hard lockdown after the Investec South African Women’s Open in March, I had to switch gears.
“It was a blow, for sure, but I used the time to work on a major swing change at the small driving range back home. Putting in the time and the hard work was worth it. It worked out for the best in the end. Once I was happy with my swing, I took a complete break from golf for six weeks so I could really relax and I then I started preparing for the 2021 season.
“Big ups to the Sunshine Ladies Tour for getting the season together in the midst of everything that is happening. It’s so awesome to back out playing competitively again.”
Fletcher will now face the biggest challenge of her young career as she looks to hold off the chasing pack, led by the big-hitting eSwatini golfer and Macnab, who registered a 73 to finish in third place on two-under.
“I learned at college to accept that I can’t control what the other players do,” Fletcher said. “Nobby and Cat are both big-hitters; they can pull out the driver on a lot of holes. I am shorter off the tee, but I hit a lot of fairways and greens, so I have to play to my strengths, stick to my game plan and stay in my own head-space. If I can do that well, I have a chance to win.”
Last year’s runner-up Tandi McCallum, LPGA champion Lee-Anne Pace and Dane Linette Holmslykke are also still in with a shout.
Parkview’s McCallum is level after 36 holes after carding 73 in round two, while Pace and Holmslykke posted respective rounds of 72 and 71 to tie for fifth on one-over.
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
21st April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Dlamini chasing Macnab at Sun City
21 April 2021 – Reigning SA Women’s Amateur champion Caitlyn Macnab carried her imperious winning form from the Jabra Ladies Classic to the Pilansberg, where she edged out Nobuhle Dlamini for the round one lead in the Ladies SuperSport Challenge, presented by Sun International.
Macnab lived up to the billing as one of the headline acts at Sun City, carding a three-under-par opening round 69 at the Gary Player Country Club, but former champion Dlamini is in hot pursuit, just one shot off the pace.
Last year’s runner-up, Tandi McCallum, opened with a one-under 71 to sit alone in third, with Anna Magnusson from Sweden and seasoned French campaigner Astrid Vayson De Pradenne tied for fourth on level par. Lee-Anne Pace and former SA Long Drive champion Lenanda van der Watt share sixth, a further shot adrift.
Defending champion Lejan Lewthwaite opened with a three-over-par 75 and is six off the pace.
Big-hitting Dlamini is starting to hit the form that saw her rack up victories in the Joburg Ladies Open and Dimension Data Ladies Challenge last season, and brought her close to winning the 2020 Investec Order of Merit title.
The eSwatini golfer enjoyed her maiden Sunshine Ladies Tour success in the 2018 edition at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club. Three years earlier she was finished second at the Lost City Golf Course and in 2019, was the runner-up again at the Wild Coast.
Dlamini also wore the bridesmaid’s tag in the 2016 Sun International Ladies Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club and she once again showed her affinity for this tournament – and the championship layout – with a solid 70 that featured two dropped shots and four birdies
“I’m pleased with the round; the set-up is tough and there was a couple of tricky pins. If you offered me a two under of the start of the round, I would have taken it,” said Dlamini. “No real drama. I hit it well off the tees and my iron-play was good, but I could have putted better.
“I can’t hit driver off the tee on many holes because of the set-up, but I am striking it well, so I might get a little more aggressive with my approach shots tomorrow.”
Caitlyn Macnab during round one of the SuperSport Ladies Classic, presented by Sun International, at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City, South Africa.
Image: Petri Oeschger
Macnab, meanwhile, is riding a wave of confidence after a top four finish in the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open and an eight-shot triumph at Glendower last week, where she became the first amateur winner of the pro women’s golf circuit since Ashleigh Buhai in 2007.
The Texas Christian University-bound teenager’s 69 came courtesy of three birdies on the back nine.
“I had a solid start with two good birdies, but I made silly bogeys on nine and 10,” she said. “I took 5-iron off the tee on nine and the club slipped out of my hand. I was completely out of position, and had to hit a massive hook. I had a mud ball and the ball didn’t come out well. My chip came out hot and I missed the putt. It wasn’t a bad bogey. I hit a good drive and a decent second on 10. I had a lengthy putt and smashed my first putt way past and missed the return.
“Other than those two holes, it was solid. I only missed the fairway once, on the final hole. Actually, I missed one more, but I was only a foot off so I’m not counting it. The rough is really thick, so hitting fairways was key to me scoring so well on a course like this. My swing is also improving; I’m starting to hit the shots and the shapes that I want to.”
Macnab is feeling confident, but also realises that things can change quickly.
“Confidence is a funny thing. Yes, I have an expectation to win events, but my bigger expectation is to give it all that I can; always 100%. When you’re hitting good shots and playing good rounds, your confidence builds. You don’t feel so restricted. You can hit the ball much more freely and play the shots you want to play. For me it also means I can be more creative and when I can play like that, I feel like I’m playing my best golf.”
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20th April 2021 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Lewthwaite set for Sun City defence
20 April 2021 – Lejan Lewthwaite will draw on fond memories of the Gary Player Country Club to spark a return to winning form when she takes up her title defence in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, presented by Sun International, on Wednesday.
The Serengeti golfer lifted her second Sunshine Ladies Tour trophy at Sun City last year after edging out Tandi McCallum with a birdie at the first play-off hole.
“Sun City brings back a lot of happy memories and I can’t wait to defend my title,” Lewthwaite said.
“The Gary Player Country Club is a fantastic venue and remains one of my favourite courses in the world. It’s steeped in history and I was so thrilled to add my name to a winner’s list with so many legends of the game who have won at the Gary Player.
“Last year’s win delivered a huge shot of confidence and definitely helped me to the winner’s circle a week later in Dimension Data Ladies Challenge at Fancourt. It’s always great to return to a place that sparks positive memories, because it gives you a psychological lift. I have no doubt that the Gary Player Country Club will do that for me this week.”
Starting with her own first round playing partners, Lewthwaite knows she will have to stave off some pretty stiff competition to go back-to-back on the iconic championship course.
Four-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner Marianne Skarpnord from Norway tasted success on South African soil with her 2013 triumph in the South African Women’s Open and will be looking for a fast start to her 2021 campaign, while GolfRSA No. 1 amateur Caitlyn Macnab impressed with a runaway eight-shot victory in the Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower last week.
The field is further awash with seasoned winners, led by LPGA Tour champion Lee-Anne Pace.
Multiple Sunshine Ladies Tour titleholders Nicole Garcia, Stacy Bregman, Monique Smit, Kim Williams, eSwatini’s Nobuhle Dlamini and Jane Turner from Scotland will be gunning for a first win this season, as will England’s Florentyna Parker and Anne-Lise Caudal from France, both former winners on the LET circuit.
Some of the new kids on the block have also signalled their intent to level up this season, with Manon Gidali from France breaking her duck in the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open.
“I don’t feel any extra pressure coming in as the defending champion,” Lewthwaite said. “It has taken a while to get the rust off after the long lay-off due to the pandemic, but I am happy with the progress I’m making.
“No doubt I have my job cut out to defend my title, but I know how to keep my head down and shut out the world. I am able to stay in the moment and in my own head-space and that is how I approach every tournament round.”
After taking the leading amateur honours with a runner-up finish in the 2015 South African Women’s Open, the former US Collegiate NCAA Division one golfer cut teeth on the Sunshine Ladies Tour in 2016 and she is excited to see so many younger players making strides this season.
“You always want to see the cream rise to the top, but it has been an exciting season so far with two new winners stepping up,” said the Investec golfer. “It great to see up-and-coming pros like Cara Gorlei, Lindi Coetzee, Kelsey Nicholas, Michaela Fletcher and Katerina Vlasinova from the Czech Republic putting in some strong performances.
“It’s a fantastic result for the Sunshine Ladies Tour. A year ago, I was one of those new faces who raised my game and broke through the ranks. It signals that the tour is achieving its goal to encourage and empower the younger generation to soar to new heights.
“I may have won three times, but I’m still a relative newcomer on the Ladies European Tour, so I am also embracing all the opportunities the Sunshine Ladies Tour is offering us to help us reach the next level.”
The defending champion would love to become the first South African to bag the Investec hat-trick this season.
“Just imagine taking home the R100 000 Investec Order of Merit, the winner’s share of the €200 000 Investec South African Women’s Open and the R100 000 Investec Homegrown Award, which is a new incentive this year for a South African winner in the SA Women’s Open,” she said.
“It would be an incredible achievement and a massive cash injection to help cover all the travel expenses. I definitely have my eye on the prize and a win this week will go a long way in getting me closer to that target.”
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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
6th February 2020 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
More play-off delight for Lewthwaite at Sun City
6 February 2020 – Lejan Lewthwaite drew on all her experience to clinch the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International title in a play-off against Tandi McCallum at Sun City on Thursday.
It was a fourth playoff success for Lewthwaite, after winning her maiden Sunshine Ladies Tour title last year at San Lameer in the SA Women’s Masters. That followed two victories on the men’s IGT Challenge Tour in sudden death against the male professionals in 2018.
“I absolutely drew on my experiences,” said the Investec golfer Lewthwaite, who birdied the first extra hole to lift her second Sunshine Ladies Tour trophy at the Gary Player Country Club. “I don’t know what it is about playoffs, but it just fuels me to perform and stick to my guns. I’m over the moon to have four out of four playoff wins.”
The pair tied for the lead on six-under at the end of regulation play after Lewthwaite carded rounds of 66, 71 and 73 and McCallum shot 67, 71 and 72 at the challenging par-72 layout.
In the ensuing play-off, Lewthwaite was rock solid.
“The nines were switched around at the Gary Player, so we actually played the par five ninth in the play-off. Tandi drove it down the middle, and I hit my drive down the right. My ball was actually sitting down quite badly, but it was always going to be a lay-up,” said the Serengeti golfer, who celebrates her 29th birthday next week.
“I just wedged it out the rough, and she hit her second into the right rough. I went first with the approach and hit a really solid wedge to about 10-foot. Tandi’s third came up short in the water. I holed my birdie putt to her bogey to take the win.”
McCallum fired four birdies in a row from the fifth during regulation play and had built a four-shot lead on 10-under after 12 holes. However, a costly double bogey five on 13, followed by bogeys on 16 and 17, dropped her back to six-under.
Lewthwaite, meanwhile, was steady with 15 pars, two bogeys and a birdie to retain a share of the lead for a third successive day.
“I wasn’t paying too much attention to Nobby or Tandi’s games. I played quite a lot with Nobuhle last year and we had a little bit of a rivalry going. I found myself paying too much attention to her game at times, and losing focus of my own.
“I actually tried my best to not watch them hit their shots. So that was quite a different approach I took on today which seemed to pay off. I thought three-under would have been a good score today, but a couple holes in, my caddy said that if I shot even-par, I’d be right up there. If I had shot level, I would have won without needing a playoff.”
Meanwhile former SA number 1 ranked amateur Woo-Ju Son made an impressive start to her professional career on the Sunshine Ladies Tour. The pint-sized South Korean rookie registered rounds of 72, 72 and 69 to tie last year’s Investec Order of Merit winner Nobuhle Dlamini for third on three-under.
Lee-Anne Pace, fresh off her 25th career win in the Cape Town Ladies Open, birdied the 17th and made an albatross at the final hole for a 69 to finish alone in fifth on two-under.
It was the first time Lewthwaite went wire-to-wire to win. She led the first round on six-under with Stacy Bregman and shared the 36-hole lead with Dlamini on seven-under after the first two days at the Lost City Golf Course. “I’m very happy to have kept my lead. It was something new for me because I had never been in the lead of a tournament going into the final round. I was proud of the way I handled myself by keeping my nerve and staying patient,” she said.
The Ladies European Tour player said the win would do wonders for her confidence.
“There’s still a lot I want to achieve on the Sunshine Ladies Tour. I got my first win last year and now this one, but I really wanted to build on that. This one means a lot and the more wins you have, the more experience you gain and you have more tools to draw on going forward.”
Lewthwaite will be looking to go one better than her runner-up finish last year when she tees it up in the R600 000 Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am at George Golf Club, starting on Valentines Day next week.
“Then it’s back to San Lameer to defend my SA Women’s Masters title and then I’m going to try and win the new Canon Serengeti Par3 Challenge at my home course,” Lewthwaite said. “It’s an exciting new concept and it should be a lot of fun and highly competitive.”
From Serengeti the Sunshine Ladies Tour travels to Soweto Country Club for the R500 000 Joburg Ladies Open (26-28 February), followed by the R600 000 Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower Golf Club (4-6 March) before the players head back to the City of Cape Town for the Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club from 12-14 March. The season-finale is co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour and carries prize money of €200 000 (approximately R4-million).
“Then I’m heading to the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club for the Saudi Ladies Championship on the Ladies European Tour, and then I’ll take a very hard-earned break,” Lewthwaite said.
Final Result
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as AMA
210 – Lejan Lewthwaite 66 71 73
210 – Tandi McCallum 67 71 72
213 – Woo-Ju Son (KOR) 72 72 69, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 68 69 76
214 – Lee-Anne Pace 71 74 69
215 – Emie Peronnin (FRA) 70 73 72, Stacy Bregman 66 74 75, Nicole Garcia 72 68 75
216 – Astrid Vayson De Pradenne (FRA) 74 70 72
217 – Lindi Coetzee 70 74 73
219 – Monique Smit 74 76 69, Kim Williams 71 72 76
222 – Jordy LaBarbera (USA) 75 75 72, Zethu Myeki 71 74 77
223 – Jane Turner (SCO) 68 73 82
224 – Catherine Lau 72 71 81
225 – Brittney-Fay Berger 75 74 76, Larissa Du Preez (a) 71 76 78
226 – Marion Duvernay (FRA) 73 77 76, Kyle Roig (PUR) 72 77 77
227 – Casandra Hall 72 73 82
228 – Michaela Fletcher 71 79 78, Cara Gorlei 74 76 78
230 – Tara Griebenow 74 72 84
231 – Hannah Arnold (USA) 71 78 82
232 – Lauren Taylor (ENG) 78 75 79, Francesca Cuturi 76 75 81, Clara Pietri (SUI) 76 75 81, Lenanda van der Watt 74 76 82
234 – Shawnelle de Lange 74 80 80
236 – Ivanna Samu 82 73 81
Ends
PHOTOS: Serengeti golfer Lejan Lewthwaite is four-for-four in play-off victories after defeating Tandi McCallum for the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International title at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City. Credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.
NOTE – These images are the free to use. Please credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Action photos from the SuperSport Ladies Challenge for editorial use can be downloaded at:
https://www.sunshinetourimages.co.za/Sunshine-Ladies-Tour/2020/Supersport-Ladies-Challenge/Action
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour and WPGA.
5th February 2020 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Dlamini back in the mix at Sun City
5 February 2020 – For a second successive week, Nobuhle Dlamini has a stab at a sixth Sunshine Ladies Tour title after she moved into a share of the 36-hole lead in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge at Sun City.
The 28-year-old Eswatini forged her way to the front in the R400 000 event presented by Sun International, courtesy of a flawless four-under-par 68 at the Lost City Golf Course on Tuesday.
The Eswatini golfer was joined at the summit by joint first round leader Lejan Lewthwaite, who held on to a share of pole position with a one-under-par 71.
Former winner Tandi McCallum also returned 71 to finish in third on six-under.
Stacy Bregman and Nicole Garcia finished a further shot back. Bregman, the winner in 2015, shared the first round lead, but backpedalled to a share of fourth after carding 74. Garcia, meanwhile, shared the low round honour with Dlamini. Her 68 featured an eagle, a trio of birdies and a lone bogey.
Scotland’s Jane Turner celebrate her maiden win in this event when it was hosted at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club. She stayed in touch with a 73 to finish a further stroke adrift.
Dlamini led the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open through 36 holes last week, but she battled a balky putter on the final day at King David Mowbray Golf Club and ended up losing to Lee-Anne Pace.
Although the flat-stick is still a little icy, Dlamini was pleased to sign for two bogey-free rounds.
“I hit a lot of fairways, but wasn’t hitting it close enough to make the birdie putt,” she said. “I’m happy with birdies on three of the par fives and a bunch of solid pars, though, because the conditions were a lot tougher.
“The wind was much stronger and lots of pins were tucked, so you couldn’t attack the flags. You couldn’t really feel the strength of the wind through the trees, but once you hit it, the wind played around with your ball. Playing in the wind in Cape Town was definitely a benefit for us, because we had to make a lot of adjustments out there.”
Dlamini landed her maiden Sunshine Ladies Tour win in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge at the Wild Coast in 2018, but she had a chance two years earlier, when she carried a four-shot lead in to the final round at Sun City.
“I started with a bogey and made nine on the par five second and I never recovered. I ended up shooting 77 for a runner-up finish. I’ve never forgotten that day and I would love to get my revenge,” she said. “I really enjoy the Gary Player. The course is slightly longer and you don’t have to lay up as much as you do here at the Lost City. I can use my driver. It’s a tougher course, but there are some very good holes where you can make birdies.”
Lejan Lewthwaite held on for a share of the second round lead on seven-under in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, presented by Sun International, at Sun City; credit Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Lewthwaite fired five birdies to offset a pair of bogeys, but was left ruing a double bogey at the par four 17th that cost her outright lead.
“I was three-under with two to play, so a little disappointed with the double, but I’m happy that I kept it under par,” said the Serengeti golfer. It was a tougher day, for sure, but I stuck with the same thought processes and just kept calm out.
“After the double I told myself to go for an eagle finish. I really went for my second shot. I had an uphill lie, though, and it went a little high and came up short in the hazard. I didn’t really have a shot, so I took the drop and almost holed it. I was happy to make the up-and-down for par,” said the Investec-backed golfer.
“Gary Player is a little tougher, so I’m sticking to my thought processes. The rough is up way more than here at the Lost City and positioning off the tees will be crucial. I’m really excited. The greens are a lot quicker so I’ll be happy get the putter going on that side.”
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour and WPGA.
4th February 2020 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Lewthwaite, Bregman a happy double act at Sun City
4 February 2020 – Lejan Lewthwaite fired three birdies over her last four holes on Tuesday for a six-under-par 66, and the joint first round lead in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International at Sun City.
As play wrapped up at the Lost City Golf Course, the Benoni golfer found herself surrounded by former champions of the Sunshine Ladies Tour event.
Lewthwaite shares the top spot with 2015 winner Stacy Bregman and the Investec-backed pair lead by one shot from Tandi McCallum, who claimed the inaugural title in 2014.
Bregman and McCallum both celebrated their victories at Sun City, while Scotland’s Jane Turner and Nobuhle Dlamini from Eswatini – lurking a further stroke adrift – were the respective champions at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in 2019 and 2019.
“I hadn’t realised; that is quite something. Hopefully a good omen for me,” Lewthwaite laughed.
After finishing a frustrating fifth in the season-opening Cape Town Ladies Open last week, the 28-year-old spent some quality time with her putter, and credited an improvement on the greens as key to her low scoring round.
“I have been striking the ball really well since last year, but I was just not holing putts in Cape Town. Thankfully that changed. The time I spent with the flat-stick definitely paid off,” said Lewthwaite, who racked up four birdies from the fourth hole to turn four-under and reeled in four more coming home.
“I started off slowly with a couple of pars, but once the first birdie putt dropped, I started thinking I’ve got this. I holed some long putts; I holed some short ones. The birdies just kept on coming.”
She also hit some pin-seeking irons to set herself up for a good score.
“Not much wrong with the game today. I think I missed just two greens. On one I made a great up-and-down to save par, the one not so much. I hit back with birdies on 15 and 16, though, so I was able to bounce back from the double on 14,” she said.
On the back of her maiden win in the SA Women’s Masters last year, Lewthwaite spent the season in Europe where she secured her Ladies European Tour (LET) card for the 2020 season with a top 80 Order of Merit finish.
“It would be great if I could once or twice this season here in South Africa. I hope to peak at the Investec SA Women’s Open in March, because we have so many incentives to play for,” she said. “The winner gets spots in the AEG British Women’s Open and the Evian Championship, and exemption on the LET until the end of 2021. Plus a strong performance in Cape Town would mean a leg-up on the LET Order of Merit this year. That is really valuable.”
Stacy Bregman in action at the 2020 SuperSport Ladies Challenge hosted by Sun International at Lost City Golf Course.
Credit Sunshine Ladies Tour / Carl Fourie
Bregman is also targeting a return to the winner’s circle.
The five-time Sunshine Ladies Tour champion got it to six-under through 15 holes, but let one slip on the par four 16th before closing out with a birdie for her 66. “I’m really stoked after this round. I played really superb golf. I gave myself a lot of chances and I made them,” said Bregman, whose last success came in the 2018 Canon Tshwane Ladies Open. “Compared to last week in Cape Town, I struck the ball really well today and was wedging it really close. I also holed a few longer putts that kept the moment going. Everything was on point.”
The Country Club Johannesburg golfer is looking forward to taking an on-song game to the Gary Player Country Club for the second round.
“Both courses are superb. You can’t fault them. The greens at the Lost City are probably not as quick as the Gary Player Country Club, but on both courses they run very true. The Gary Player is just always that little bit more challenging off the tees, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Amateur Kaiyuree Moodley in action at the 2020 SuperSport Ladies Challenge hosted by Sun International at Lost City Golf Course. Credit Sunshine Ladies Tour / Carl Fourie
GolfRSA Elite Squad member Kaiyuree Moodley – fresh from helping Team Annika to a top five finish in the 2020 Major Champions Invitation in the United States – leads the amateur challenge on two-under.
The former Youth Olympian shares sixth with French golfer Emie Peronnin and Lindi Coetzee.
Lee-Anne Pace, who claimed her 25th career title in the Cape Town Ladies Open last week, opened with a one-under 71 to finish in a six-way tie for ninth with, among others rookies Zethu Myeki and Michaela Fletcher.
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour and WPGA.
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28th February 2019 | Sunshine Ladies Tour
Turner cruises to victory at Wild Coast
28 February 2019 – Scot Jane Turner produced a stunning display of front running golf as she fired a closing two-under 68 to win the SuperSport Ladies Challenge, presented by Sun International, by four shots at the Wild Coast Country Club on Thursday.
The Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club player ended on a four-under 206 total, four ahead of her nearest challenger and defending champion Nobuhle Dlamini. The three-time Sunshine Tour winner carded rounds of 68 72 and 70, meaning Turner was the only player to finish under par for the week.
In third on her own was fellow Scot Gabrielle Macdonal of Craigelaw Golf Club on two-over after rounds of 72 70 70. Sunshine Ladies Tour rookie Kelsey Nicholas, who plays out of Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, finished a further shot adrift after posting scores of 78 68 67.
England’s Kiran Matharu and another Scot Hannah McCook – in her second start as a professional – tied for fifth on four-over with GolfRSA Elite Squad star Kajal Mistry.
The 18-year-old Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation member, who lost in a play-off in last week’s SA Women’s Masters, won the leading amateur prize for a second week running.
Turner began her round with a birdie three on the second after chipping in for birdie when it looked like a bogey was on the cards. That was just the impetus she needed, as she picked up two more gains before the turn.
On the 10th, she holed a long putt for birdie to get to six-under and open a five-shot lead over Dlamini. Two bogeys in a final three holes ultimately mattered little, as the 29-year-old had done enough to claim an emphatic triumph.
“It feels amazing what I was able to do today,” said Turner. “I can’t even begin to describe what this feels like. I have no control of what anyone else does, so I needed to keep the ball in play and hit greens in regulation and make my birdies.
“Once the putts started dropping, it gave me confidence. I actually holed a great putt on 10 for birdie. Everything just came together.”
The bogeys on 16 and 17, made it a slightly more nervy finish for Turner – but she said her mind-set still remained the same.
“I had my first bogey of the day on 16 and just like nine yesterday, it was because of a bad drive,” she said. ‘I almost managed to save my par, but left the putt short. 17 was just a bad three-putt – my first one of the week.
“The mind-set was the same coming down 18, hit the fairway and hit the green and I almost made my birdie.”
Turner has a category 12 exemption (meaning limited status) on the Ladies European Tour (LET), but has tasted victory once before as a professional at the 2017 Bossey Ladies event on the LET Access Series.
“This is my second win and they both sit right up there. It’s a fabulous feeling to know you’re going home with a trophy – although I’m not sure how it’s going to fit on the plane!”
The win at the Wild Coast though, will give Turner a massive confidence boost as she heads to the Cape Town Ladies Open and then the Investec South African Women’s Open in two weeks, where the winner will receive full exemption on the LET for the rest of the season.
“The SA Open will be a great springboard for any player who does well there,” Turner said. “It gives me a lot of confidence knowing I put together a lot of birdies this week, and I just need to keep that going in Cape Town.”
In response to the question why the purple shirts on the final day, Turner responded.
“I was diagnosed with epilepsy almost seven years ago. I do my bit to raise awareness for the condition and I hope to make a tradition of wearing purple in the final round, because purple is the colour for all epilepsy charities. Under Armour give me my clothing, and there are quite a few purple tee shirts. So all my final days are going to be purple, just like Tiger and his red.”
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Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the Sunshine Ladies Tour and WPGA.