An outstanding round of golf arrived exactly when Nadia van der Westhuizen least expected it as the South African claimed a one-shot lead going into the weekend of the Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein Golf Club. MICHAEL VLISMAS reports.
Van der Westhuizen birdied her final five holes during Friday’s second round of five-under-par 68 and leads the field on nine under par in this Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned tournament.
She is one stroke clear of Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini, who also signed for a second round of 68. Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama is three shots off the lead following her round of 71.
Van der Westhuizen’s round surprised even her as she came into this week having missed the cut in three of her previous four tournaments.
“It hasn’t been a great start to my season and this week I just came out to enjoy it and not expect anything at all,” she said. “I’m just having fun this week and it paid off. I’m grateful that my game is coming together now when the Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned events are here.”
She was two under par for the day through her opening six holes, but then saw that erased with back-to-back bogeys.
“I had a good start but then I was a bit shaky in the middle. It was just a bit of a momentum loss. I didn’t hit a great tee shot on the one hole and then on the next hole I had an unlucky lie. But after that I just tried to stay patient and take it shot by shot. I knew I could make it up again.”
Her self belief was rewarded as she birdied her final five holes for the lead.
“I had a good back nine and finished very well. I didn’t really think about those five birdies. It was just momentum. I’m just going to keep enjoying it over the weekend. It’s a privilege to play here. The golf course is amazing and it’s wonderful to compete with all the Europeans.”
Singapore’s Shannon Tan, currently ranked fourth on the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit, heads into the weekend four strokes off the lead.
Photo: Troy Winfield/Sunshine Ladies Tour
