Carrie Park remains on course for a wire-to-wire victory in the Sunshine Ladies Tour Dimension Data Pro-Am after maintaining her overnight lead with a flawless 68 in Saturday’s second round at George Golf Club.
The 21-year-old South Korean will chase the lion’s share of the R500,000 purse at the Outeniqua Course at Fancourt with a two-shot cushion on seven-under-par 137.
Park produced four birdies as her main rivals – former champion Stacy Bregman and defending champion Nicole Garcia – unravelled in the windy conditions.
One off the pace and joint second with Garcia, Bregman kept in touch, but a three-putt bogey at the final hole for a 71 saw the five-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner slip to third on three under. Garcia made a fine start with back-to-back birdies, but she dropped three shots around the turn. Another drop at the 18th for a disappointing two-over 74 will see the Ebotse golfer start the last round in joint fifth on even-par with fellow South African Lora Assad, who returned a 71.
Swiss golfer Valeria Martinoli came closest to catching Park.
The 25-year-old – off in the final group off the 1st – fired two birdies on the front nine and she moved to five under with further gains at the 11th and 15th. However, successive bogeys at the two closing holes put paid to her challenge and she finished in third on three under with a round of 69.
Park might be playing under the South Korean flag, but she is a household name in South Africa with a strong amateur track record that includes the titles of the Sanlam SA Amateur and Stroke Play Championships.
In her second pro start on the Sunshine Ladies Tour last year, Park rubber-stamped her status as a future world beater when she beat the likes of Garcia, Lee-Anne Pace, Ashleigh Buhai and English golfer Kiran Matharu for her maiden win in the South African Women’s Masters. Just a few weeks later, she defeated Nobuhle Dlamini in a play-off for a second title in the Sunshine Ladies Tour Classic, presented by Canon, at Glendower Golf Club.
Having campaigned on the Korean LPGA Tour for the last nine months, Park has brought a bounty of confidence to the Sunshine Ladies Tour and that self-assurance, combined with lethal long irons and a hot putter, has taken her to the top of the pile in George.
‘I had eight straight pars and only got my first birdie at the 9th, but it gave me good momentum for the back nine,’ said the petite Park. ‘The course played very different to the first day, because the wind blew into us and it was gusting a lot.
‘I hit my long and short irons really well and I made a lot of putts, but it wasn’t easy to score on the front nine with the wind into us, I birdied both par fives (11th and 14th) and holed another putt for birdie at 12. I had a chance at 15, but left it short and I hit a very long putt at 16 to give to save par, so it was that kind of round. A little up-and-down. I’m pleased that I kept it going and I’ve given myself a good chance for the win.’
Bregman was one of the favourite starters this week.
She won the Canon Tshwane Ladies Open and leads the Investec Property Fund Order of Merit after a tie for second in the Joburg Ladies Open and a top five finish in the Cape Town Ladies Open. The Country Club Johannesburg golfer was ready to forget the second round.
‘It was a struggle, but it’s by no means over,’ said the 31-year-old.
‘Four shots is a lot, but the Outeniqua suits me better and I’ve always found it an easier-scoring course. I have a lot of positive memories from my victory at the Outeniqua and if I can make a fast start, we’ll have a fight down the back nine.’
Second round leaderboard:
All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified and amateurs indicated as AMA
137 – Carrie Park (KOR) 69 68
140 – Valeria Martinoli (SUI) 70 70
141 – Stacy Bregman 70 71
144 – Nicole Garcia 70 74, Lora Assad 73 71
145 – Melissa Eaton 73 72, Kiran Matharu (ENG) 73 72
146 – Mariell Bruun (NOR) 74 72, Nicole Becker 70 76, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 73 73
147 – Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 75 72, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 74 73, Tandi Mc Callum 73 74, Francesca Cuturi 74 73
148 – Stina Resen (NOR) 77 71, Lindi Coetzee AMA 74 74, Anna Svenstrup (SWE) 73 75, Alexandra Lennartsson (SWE) 73 75, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 76 72, Kim Williams 74 74, Laura Fuenfstueck (GER) 75 73
149 – Sarah Bouch AMA 74 75, Lara Weinstein 73 76
150 – Hannah Arnold (USA) 75 75, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 78 72, Rachael Goodall (ENG) 75 75, Hanna Roos (SWE) 77 73
151 – Ethel Ruthenberg AMA 77 74, Jamila Jaxaliyeva (KAZ) 72 79, Monique Smit 75 76
152 – Lejan Lewthwaite 77 75
153 – Clara Pietri (SUI) 74 79, Chiara Contomathios 78 75, Bertine Strauss 77 76
Missed the cut:
154 – Maria Beautell (ESP) 76 78, Alana van Greuning 78 76
155 – Camilla Hedberg (ESP) 74 81, Zane Naude AMA 74 81, Nastja Banovec (SVN) 78 77
156 – Ivanna Samu 76 80
157 – Ellinor Haag (SWE) 76 81, Yolanda Duma 78 79, Flora Peuch (FRA) 82 75
158 – Kelsey Nicholas AMA 80 78, Morgana Robbertze 82 76
159 – Lisa Anderson (SWE) 82 77
160 – Tijana Kraljevic 82 78, Michelle de Vries 81 79, Shawnelle de Lange 82 78
161 – Hayley Davis (ENG) 82 79
162 – Muriel McIntyre (CAN) 79 83
163 – Lorena Hermann AMA (SUI) 85 78, Katia Shaff AMA (AUT) 80 83
164 – Josefin Odenring (SWE) 82 82, Laura Welch (CAN) 79 85, Mae Cornforth 81 83
165 – Siviwe Duma 79 86
166 – Rachel Rossel (SUI) 83 83
172 – Nina Grey AMA 84 88
176 – Teagan Lubbe AMA 82 94
RTD – Marguerite Pienaar RTD WDN
Photo: Thinus Maritz/Sunshine Ladies Tour
