Stacy Bregman remains on course for a fifth Sunshine Ladies Tour title after keeping the lead in the weather-affected Canon Ladies Tshwane Open on Thursday.
Play was delayed by two-and-a-half hours after a deluge of more than 30 mm left the bunkers and greens at Pretoria Country Club water-logged, but Bregman took the suspension in her stride. She fired three birdies on the front nine and countered two bogeys coming home with a late birdie at the 16th for a one-under-par 71.
This secured the Country Club Johannesburg golfer a two shot lead heading into the final round, but she will have to hold off two hungry adversaries to seal a trophy finish.
Seasoned campaigner Ashleigh Buhai and local amateur Danielle du Toit leads the chasing pack.
Buhai, who is hunting an eighth Sunshine Ladies Tour title, also returned a round of 70. Not since Buhai won her second South African Women’s Open title in 2007 has an amateur triumphed on the local professional circuit.
Du Toit stunned the professional field with a three-under 69 at her home course.
The 18-year-old Du Toit will be counting on her home course advantage to produce a grand stand finish in front of the home crowd.
‘I’m really excited to play with Stacy and Ashleigh, because that was the goal I set myself this week,’ said the 2017 All-India Ladies Amateur champion.
‘I hoped to get into contention and I’ve done it.
‘It’s such a great honour for our club to host the Sunshine Ladies Tour and for me to be playing in this event. My goal was to try to play with our top players so I can learn from them and I’m just bursting with excitement to start the final round with two of my idols.’
Bregman was less animated, but just as eager to see what the final round would bring.
‘I really played nicely today, despite the delayed start and a couple of bogeys on the back nine,’ said the Investec Property player. ‘I hit the ball well and my irons into the greens were really good, too. I just lost a little rhythm down the stretch but I settled and played some great shots coming home.
‘I definitely back myself for the final round, but Ashleigh has come off her best season yet, and she is always a strong contender over the last 18 holes. I only met Danielle today. I think it’s great that she will have this opportunity. It’s her home course, so there is a lot of pressure there, but I think she will have a great time playing with us.’
Bregman is also acutely aware of South Africa’s top export, Lee-Anne Pace, just three shots behind and tied for fourth with Carrie Park from South Korea, a two-time winner last season.
‘Lee-Anne shot 71 and Carrie 69, so they both made positive moves and they will definitely be chasing me down the last nine holes,’ said Bregman. ‘They are all capable of going low, especially if the weather is good and we get some run on the ball. All I can do is play my own game and see where I finish up.’
Meanwhile Leslie Grandet from Madagascar – one of the 26 international campaigners in the season-opening event – recorded the first ace of the season when she holed out at the par-three eighth.
Second Round Scores
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs are indicated as AMA:
141 – Stacy Bregman 71 70
143 – Danielle du Toit AMA 74 69, Ashleigh Buhai 73 70
144 – Lee-Anne Pace 73 71, Carrie Park (KOR) 75 69
145 – Francesca Cuturi 74 71, Alexandra Lennartsson (SWE) 72 73
146 – Sofia Gronberg-Whitmore (SWE) 72 74, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 74 72, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 76 70
147 – Kim Williams 73 74, Maria Beautell (ESP) 72 75
148 – Lauren Taylor (ENG) 73 75, Nicole Garcia 76 72
149 – Rachael Goodall (ENG) 74 75, Melissa Eaton 76 73, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 77 72
150 – Lejan Lewthwaite 75 75, Ivanna Samu 76 74
151 – Kaiyuree Moodley AMA 76 75, Tandi Mc Callum 76 75
152 – Hanna Roos (SWE) 76 76, Brittney-Fay Berger AMA 74 78, Valeria Martinoli (SUI) 76 76, Caitlyn Macnab AMA 76 76, Monique Smit 76 76, Laura Fuenfstueck (GER) 75 77
153 – Woo-Ju Son AMA 76 77, Bertine Strauss 76 77
154 – Alana van Greuning 83 71, Hayley Davis (ENG) 77 77, Kiran Matharu (ENG) 72 82
155 – Casandra Hall AMA 74 81, Mae Cornforth 79 76, Lenanda van der Watt AMA 83 72, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 73 82
156 – Dominique Jacobs 77 79
Missed the cut:
157 – Hannah Arnold (USA) 79 78, Laura Sedda (ITA) 79 78
158 – Flora Peuch (FRA) 80 78, Ethel Ruthenberg AMA 81 77, Morgana Robbertze 80 78, Yolanda Duma 78 80, Rachel Raastad (NOR) 83 75, Larissa Du Preez AMA 79 79
159 – Eleonora Galletti AMA 82 77, Lindi Coetzee AMA 80 79
160 – Katia Shaff AMA (AUT) 79 81, Clara Pietri (SUI) 85 75, Lara Weinstein 81 79, Kiera Floyd AMA 78 82
161 – Gabriella Venter AMA 82 79, Jamila Jaxaliyeva (KAZ) 79 82, Lora Assad 79 82
163 – Crizelda van Niekerk 84 79
165 – Lynette Fourie AMA 90 75, Tijana Kraljevic 81 84
166 – Muriel McIntyre (CAN) 79 87, Michelle Leigh 82 84
167 – Nastja Banovec (SVN) 85 82
168 – Kim de Klerk AMA 83 85
169 – Siviwe Duma 83 86, Chevonne Botha 88 81
170 – Karin Watts AMA 88 82
171 – Lorena Hermann AMA (SUI) 80 91
172 – Chiara Contomathios 85 87
174 – Michelle de Vries 87 87
175 – Anne Sophie Le Nalio (FRA) 86 89, Leslie Grandet (MAD) 92 83
176 – Bianca Wernich AMA 82 94, Rachelle Cardinall 89 87, Shawnelle de Lange 91 85
179 – Laura Welch (CAN) 88 91, Marguerite Pienaar 86 93
180 – Teagan Lubbe AMA 92 88
182 – Adele Beytell AMA 87 95, Alet de Langen 86 96
183 – Virginie Roques (FRA) 91 92
Photo: Carl Fourie/Sunshine Ladies Tour
