Cape Town will host two world-class Sunshine Ladies Tour events in the next fortnight, starting on Wednesday with the Cape Town Ladies Open.
That event will set the stage for next week’s Investec South African Women’s Open, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour.
The fifth Cape Town Ladies Open has drawn a field of 67 players, with a 40-strong international contingent competing in the curtain-raiser at Royal Cape Golf Club ahead of the R2-million Sunshine Ladies Tour showpiece from 14-16 March at Westlake Golf Club.
The foreign campaigners have already enjoyed a fortuitous summer, coming up trumps in three of the first five events.
Flora Peuch and Marion Duvernay from France celebrated victory in the inaugural Serengeti Team Championship in February, while Jane Turner from Scotland went wire-to-wire at the Wild Coast Sun last week to capture the SuperSport Ladies Challenge.
Well-known Nobuhle Dlamini pushed her winning tally on the local circuit to three trophies in the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge at Fancourt three weeks ago.
Coming off a runner-up finish at the Wild Coast, Dlamini has banked 1 257 points this season, and the big-hitting Swazi golfer holds the top spot in the Investec Property Fund Order of Merit.
With her closest pursuers at Royal Cape this week, Kim Williams and Ivanna Samu, respectively ranked third and fourth on 586 and 529 points – Dlamini is determined to open up an unsurmountable lead in the rankings before the circuit moves to Westlake.
‘There are a lot of ranking points on offer next week, so I have to try to win it this week to increase my lead,’ said the 27-year-old. ‘I was pipped at the post last year by Stacy Bregman. I definitely don’t want that to happen again.
‘I think the field is wide open this year. Lee-Anne (Pace) is always a worry. She hasn’t played on the Sunshine Ladies Tour since the Canon Sunshine Ladies Tour Open, so she will be keen to get some points in the Order of Merit race.
‘She won in 2016 and she’s defending. With the Investec South African Women’s Open next week she is going to gun for the winner’s circle again. If she gets it going early on, she’ll be very tough to catch.
‘But there are a few more players to worry about. Kim Williams has been in great form this season and Ivanna Samu could definitely pose a threat, because she has a great record at Royal Cape.
‘The two Scottish rookies, Gabrielle MacDonald and Hannah McCook, did really well over the last two weeks in KwaZulu-Natal, and Jane was in a class of her own last week.
‘Jessica Dreesbeimdieke from Namibia and Pasqualle Coffa from the Netherlands have also been impressive so far this season. And Carrie Park is back. She’s a three-time winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and she’s been playing the Ladies PGA Tour in Korea, where she’s also won.
‘There are also a number of new players this week who have arrived early to warm up for the Investec SA Women’s Open. We don’t know much about them, so they could deliver a big surprise this week.’
Dlamini is confident, though, that she can protect her No 1 spot in the rankings.
‘I’ve come to Cape Town this year in a very different mindset,’ she said. ‘I’ve always had a great game, but I didn’t have the self-belief that you need to compete at the highest level. Mentally I am stronger that I’ve ever been.
‘I’ve had a mixed bag of results here in the past, but I believe I’ll do well. I trust my game. I trust my ability to grind and scramble to turn a bad round around. And I believe I can win. When you take mental strength and self-belief on to the golf course, you control the way you play.’
