After a day of very bad weather at Fancourt, with strong gales and torrential downpours, Ana Dawson was the only golfer to finish under-par after the first round of the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am and she had good reason to feel delighted.
Dawson, who hails from the Isle of Man, played the Outeniqua course in one-under-par 71 and so ended the opening day one stroke ahead of another three international golfers who finished on level-par: Germany’s Carolin Kauffmann, Scotland’s Kylie Henry and Englishwoman Lauren Taylor.
If the weather did not dampen Dawson’s mood then even a three-putt for bogey at the par-four last hole was not going to do it either.
“It was really hard weather and with all the delays, keeping your round going was probably the trickiest bit,” the 22-year-old said. “It’s always a shame to three-putt the last, it leaves a bit of a sour taste, but I’m still very happy.
“If someone had offered me one under today at the start of the round I would definitely have taken it. I had a nice draw because Outeniqua is a bit shorter and a bit more forgiving, but you still have to play well. I honestly hit just one bad shot today, but I struggled on the greens.”
Dawson enjoyed a fast start with a birdie on the par-four 1st hole, but she had to stay very patient thereafter as three pars were followed by a bogey on the par-four 5th. She birdied the 6th and 8th holes, but then dropped a shot at the 9th to turn in one under.
The back nine was more grind with birdies on the 10th and 14th holes, but another bogey on the par-three 12th.
Dawson said the tough conditions actually suited her because it allowed her to take her time.
“It was quite slow out there, but in a way that was nice because it meant I didn’t have to try and rush, which has happened to me in the past. I felt I didn’t need to hurry at all today and that helped me. I really took my time and made sure everything was ready and right before I played.”
Henry and Taylor both took on the Montague course that is rated as being more difficult.
Henry was excellent on the front nine, going out in two under, but the back nine bit back as she bogeyed three of the first four holes. A birdie on the par-five 18th was a great way to end though, restoring her to level par.
Taylor recovered brilliantly from a disastrous front nine. After three pars, a double-bogey seven at the 4th would have knocked the wind out of her sails. She also dropped shots on the 6th and 9th holes, partially offset by a birdie on the par-three 8th, but the 29-year-old was three over at the turn.
But Taylor stormed to three birdies in the first five holes of the back nine, not dropping any more shots on her way back to the clubhouse.
Kiera Floyd and Lejan Lewthwaite are the leading South Africans, tied in fifth place on one over par with Alexandra Swayne of the US Virgin Islands.
Photo: Troy Winfield/Sunshine Tour
