Welcome to the Free Drop Sunshine Ladies Tour wrap where each day we unpack the performances of our former podcast guests.
Here is all you need to know from round one of the Cape Town Ladies Open taking place at Royal Cape Golf Club.
*Number before player name denotes position
- Cara Gorlei – 71 (-3)
Milnerton Golf Club member Cara Gorlei fared the best of our former podcast guests with a round of 3-under par 71. Beginning on Royal Cape’s par-4 opening hole, Gorlei made the perfect start with a birdie-3 before a second red number at the par-5 third. Gorlei – who has her coach and Royal Cape teaching pro Wayne Bradley on the bag- exhibited great bounceback-ability, responding to a bogey-6 at the fifth with two consecutive birdies.
While a second blemish came at the 9th, Gorlei held things together with a string of six pars to begin her inward nine. The former Arkansas Razorback put the finishing touches to a great first round with a birdie-4 at the 16th to edge a shot clear of Scotland’s Rachel Taylor after round one.
T-6. Ivanna Samu – 75 (+1)
Former Golf RSA standout Ivanna Samu made a solid start to her tournament with a round of one-over par 75 to sit in a tie for sixth place. Samu got into her work early with a birdie at her second hole of the day. An unfortunate dropped shot two holes later was followed by three pars before a second red number on the par-4 17th.
The big-hitting Samu endured a tough second nine with dropped shots at the 1st, 5th and 6th holes. A welcome birdie-4 at her 16th hole of the day offset some of the damage and in T-6 after a one-over 75 she is certainly within striking distance.
T-12. Kaylah Williams – 76 (+2)
Reigning Women’s Golf South Africa Player of The Year Kaylah Williams began her tournament with a two-over par 76. Playing in the company of Gorlei, Williams made a slow start as she dropped two shots in her first five holes. Her first birdie of the day came at the par-5 7th but two further bogeys to end the first nine left her needing to play catch-up.
She did just that with two birdies over her closing four holes. Mixed with a bogey at the par-5 14th, Williams’ second-nine of one-under 36 was four shots better than her front nine. She will begin the second round two shots back of fellow Golf RSA Elite squad member Caitlyn Macnab who carded an even-par 74.
T-21. Casandra Hall – 77 (+3)
Ladies European Tour player Casandra Hall endured a tough start to her Sunshine Ladies Tour season, carding a 3-over par 77.
Eventful comes to mind when describing Hall’s start to the round. A drop at the par-4 10th to start was soon followed by a birdie which restored parity. An untimely double-bogey at the par-3 13th was immediately followed by a birdie. A fourth dropped shot of the day cancelled out the good work done at the preceding hole. Yet another bogey at the straightaway par-4 17th consigned the 21-year-old to a first-nine of 40.
To her credit, Hall righted the ship coming home. After mixing a birdie at the par-5 3rd with a bogey at the 5t,. Hall parred in and will begin round two in a six-way tie for 21st-place.
T-46. Nicole Garcia + 8 (82)
Nicole Garcia made a tough start to her campaign and will be eager to turn things around after an eight-over par 82.
Bogeys at the first two holes were less than ideal for Garcia and the early adversity she faced was compounded by a double-bogey at the par-4 6th.
A second double-drop at the par-5 11th and three bogeys over her final four holes means that the three-time Sunshine Ladies Tour winner will have a lot of work to do in round two.
Final Thoughts
Well done to Cara on a great day and best of luck to all of our former podcast guests in round two. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more updates from the Sunshine Ladies Tour season-opener.
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Photo: Carl Fourie/Sunshine Ladies Tour/Gallo Images
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