Monique Smit claimed the first round lead in the Joburg Ladies Open with a five-under-par 67. And Lejan Lewthwaite’s campaign to make the field for the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies Final began with a solid four under 68 at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club on Sunday.
Smit – a three-time winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour – has battled with inconsistency this season after dropping 20kg in the last 10 months.
‘For once, it all came together,’ said a delighted Smit (pictured). She hemmed in a bogey at the second with a brace of birdies and capitalised on a good start to add further gains at 14, two and six before she finished in impressive fashion with a birdie at the par fourth ninth.
The 26-year-old Fancourt golfer currently ranks ninth in the Chase to the Investec Cup for Ladies Points Standing and was pleased with a solid start in the R500 000 final counting event.
Lewthwaite, 12th in the current standings, needs a top five finish this week to break into the top 10.
The 26-year-old overcame a double bogey at 11 (her second hole) and turned one under, birdied one but dropped four and then collected birdies at five, six and eight for a 68.
Englishwoman Lauren Taylor held the outright lead at three under through 13 holes. The Ladies European Tour player bogeyed 14, but birdies at 16 and 18 helped Taylor to joint second at four under with Lewthwaite.
Amateur Shawnelle de Lange fired a one-bogey 69 to tie for fourth with Ashleigh Buhai (Simon) and Swedish golfer Emma Westin.
Buhai dropped three shots in her opening loop and turned one over, but she rebounded with three successive birdies from the third and another gain at the eighth to finish at three under.
Dimension Data Ladies Challenge winner Nicole Garcia, SuperSport Ladies Challenge champion Kim Williams and Bonita Bredenhann, who led the first two rounds of the Sun International Ladies Challenge, lurk at two under, while former Sunshine Ladies Tour winners Stacy Bregman and Tandi von Ruben closed out the top 10 at one under.
Courtesy Lali Stander
