Nobuhle Dlamini and Anne-Lise Caudal will share a four-shot lead heading into the final round of the Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower Golf Club.
The joint leaders took two vastly different routes to share the top spot on five-under in Thursday’s second round.
Overnight leader Dlamini had another brilliant ball-striking day and only missed one green, but she continued to battle on the putting surfaces, and returned a one-birdie, one-bogey 71 while her playing partner rode a hot putter to a four-under 68.
Tvesa Malik (India) carded 71 to tie for third on one-under alongside 14-year-old Benoni junior Kiera Floyd, who returned a three-under 69 that featured two eagles and five birdies.
A three at the par-four 18th for a round of 70 netted fellow GolfRSA Elite Squad player Symone Henriques sole fifth on level par.
Caudal was three shots behind Dlamini at the start of the second round.
The two-time Ladies European Tour winner shot 32 over the front nine to take a one-shot lead, and she edged two shots clear with two holes left to play after birdies at the par-four 10th and the par-five 15th. She handed Dlamini the chance to regain the lead with a double bogey at 17.
‘My tee shot caught a bounce and finished in a bunker, and I thinned the trap shot,’ said the French golfer.
‘I flew the green and hit a poor tee shot, leaving myself a long downhill putt that I missed.
‘Yes, it was frustrating to lose the two-shot lead, but I’m still in it. I played the front nine really well to turn four-under, and I missed two short birdie chances. The back nine was solid, too, except for the mishap on 17. So it could have been a little bit better, but I’m still in contention and this is what I wanted.’
Dlamini failed to box a 15-footer for birdie at the penultimate hole to regain the lead, and the pair closed off with pars at 18.
Although frustrated with the flat stick, the reigning Investec Property Fund Order of Merit leader was thrilled to still have a crack at the Ladies European Tour’s Jabra Ladies Open start that comes with victory on Friday.
‘A round of 71 is not a bad score, but I only missed one green and I had 35 putts, so that left me very frustrated,’ the 27-year-old Swaziland golfer said.
‘I just couldn’t get the speed right on the greens; I either hit them too hard, or left the putts short. It could have made a huge difference for tomorrow, so I’m going to practice now and talk to my putter and hopefully they will start dropping tomorrow.’
Second round leaderboard:
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateur indicated as AMA
139 – Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 71 68, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 68 71
143 – Kiera Floyd AMA 74 69, Tvesa Malik (IND) 72 71
144 – Symone Henriques AMA 74 70
145 – Tandi Mc Callum 79 66, Kim Williams 72 73
146 – Kiran Matharu (ENG) 76 70, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 74 72, Kajal Mistry AMA 72 74
147 – Kyle Roig (PUR) 74 73, Emilie Alonso (FRA) 73 74, Lenanda van der Watt 73 74, Lora Assad 71 76
149 – Casandra Hall 78 71, Kelsey Nicholas 75 74, Emilie Piquot (FRA) 74 75
150 – Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 75 75, Moa Folke (SWE) 75 75
151 – Clara Pietri (SUI) 75 76, Rachel Rossel (SUI) 74 77
152 – Bertine Faber 78 74, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 79 73, Larissa Du Preez AMA 77 75, Flora Peuch (FRA) 76 76, Tara Griebenow AMA 75 77
153 – Lejan Lewthwaite 77 76, Jane Turner (SCO) 76 77, Millie Saroha (IND) 75 78, Laurette Maritz 75 78, Marion Duvernay (FRA) 75 78
154 – Lara Weinstein 77 77
155 – Emma Westin (SWE) 75 80
157 – Alana van Greuning 82 75, Nadia van der Westhuizen AMA 74 83
158 – Eleonora Galletti AMA 79 79, Brittney-Fay Berger 83 75, Charlotte Austwick (ENG) 84 74
Missed the cut:
159 – Yolanda Duma 80 79, Crizelda van Niekerk 82 77, Nastja Banovec (SVN) 74 85
160 – Monique Smit 80 80, Lindi Coetzee 81 79, Mae Cornforth 82 78
161 – Gabriella Venter AMA 79 82, Georgia Oboh (NGA) 82 79
162 – Michelle Leigh 81 81
165 – Julie Berton (FRA) 81 84, Kyra van Kan AMA 84 81
166 – Alisa Rich AMA (UKR) 87 79, Lynette Fourie 88 78
167 – Kim de Klerk AMA 81 86, Siviwe Duma 82 85, Chiara Contomathios 84 83
169 – Sunelle von Molendorff 83 86
170 – Carmen Taljaard AMA 84 86
171 – Shanice de Gee AMA 87 84
174 – Leslie Grandet (MAD) 85 89
175 – Teagan Lubbe AMA 91 84
190 – Jenny Havenga AMA 101 89
WDN – Rachelle Cardinal 91 WDN, Stacy Bregman WDN WDN
RTD – Dominique Jacobs 77 RTD
DSQ – Stephanie Barbaglia AMA 76 DSQ
