Cape Town is flexing its muscles for the start of the 2020 Investec SA Women’s Open, which gets under way at the Westlake Golf Club on Thursday, writes ANDRE HUISAMEN.
A combination of youth and experience, mixed with rousing talent and the discrete hunger to walk away as Southern Africa’s best, will be on display as both local and international stars fight it out.
From three-time champions such as Ashleigh Buhai and Lee-Anne Pace to overseas contenders like Sweden’s Jenny Haglund and Scotland’s Carly Booth, both former winners on the Ladies European Tour, fans can expect the ultimate competitive nature of ladies golf.
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Similarly, a strong and composed local contingent will also headline the competition after a significantly exciting season on the Sunshine Ladies Tour to date.
Lejan Lewthwaite, Nicole Garcia and Monique Smit have all already won twice on tour so far this year, while the Order of Merit leader Stacy Bregman will certainly be one of the favourites heading into the weekend.
And then, of course, there is the defending champion, Diksha Dagar from India, who won her first event on the Ladies European Tour at the SA Open last year at the age of 18 and after only turning pro in January 2019.
The players will fight it out for a hefty prize money of €200,000 or R3,646,360, with the winner earning invitations to the AIG Women’s British Open and Evian Championship later this year.
After the second round a cut to 60 players will be made with the winner set to be crowned at the end of play on Saturday as well as the 2020 Investec Order of Merit winner in the process.
It promises to be an exhilarating three days of golf in the Mother City.
