United States-based South African Paula Reto may have looked a bit like a fish out of water when she bogeyed the second and third holes on the second day of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International on Thursday, but the rest of her round at the Lost City Golf Club then went swimmingly as she claimed a share of the lead.

Reto went on a run of five birdies in six holes from the fifth hole, and then added back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, before returning from a lightning delay with another gain on the 17th. Her superb six-under-par 66 lifted her to eight-under overall and she will go into the final round tied for the lead with India’s Tvesa Malik, who fired a stunning 65.

The 33-year-old Reto won this tournament in 2022, but it was then played at the Gary Player Country Club. But after a tough 2023 campaign on the LPGA Tour, Reto is in a good frame of mind back in her home country, and it showed in her ability to bounce back from two early setbacks on Thursday.

“I don’t know what happened really, I hit a bad tee-shot on the second and suddenly I’d gone bogey-bogey. I just said to myself that I must give myself opportunities and fortunately I then managed to get the ball close to the hole a few times, and chipped in on the eighth, which is always nice for your momentum,” Reto said.

“Lost City is completely different to the GPCC, you have to strategise more off the tees, it’s a course that requires more thinking. To be able to bounce back after those two bogeys felt really good and I was very happy that I kept to the plan. I was able to stay on plan and not let the bogeys get to me.

“Last year was tough because I struggled with my swing a bit and I couldn’t string four good rounds together. It starts to take a toll on your confidence and you start to try and change so much all at once.

“So at the start of this year I just tried to hone in on a few things, make sure I do those basics well. I’m happy with where my game is heading and I just love coming back here to South Africa, being with my family and feeling a bit like I’m on vacation,” Reto said.

Getting married on December 29 to fellow Indian professional golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu certainly seems to have bear fruit for Malik as she produced an outstanding, bogey-free round with four birdies on the back nine and then three on the front.

First-round leader Lauren Taylor shot a 70 on Thursday to move to six-under-par, two off the lead, while exciting South African youngster Gabrielle Venter shot 68 on Thursday to move to five-under.

SCORES:

136 – Tvesa Malik 71 65, Paula Reto 70 66
138 – Lauren Taylor 68 70
139 – Gabrielle Venter 71 68
140 – Pasqualle Coffa 69 71, Anna Magnusson 72 68
141 – Alexandra Swayne 73 68, Ariane Klotz 76 65, Helen Kreuzer 71 70, Ana Dawson 69 72, Lee-Anne Pace 76 65
142 – Tandi McCallum 71 71, Carolin Kauffmann 72 70
143 – Ellen Hutchinson-Kay 70 73
144 – Kaleigh Telfer 69 75, Emily Penttila 73 71, Tina Mazarino 72 72, Amy Taylor 73 71, Romy Meekers 70 74
145 – Nina Pegova 72 73, Lejan Lewthwaite 73 72
146 – Georgia Coughlin 74 72, Zethu Myeki 76 70, Isabella Ferreira 70 76, Jane Turner 77 69, Elena Hualde 72 74, Ivanna Samu 75 71, Vanessa Knecht 69 77
147 – Nadia van der Westhuizen 75 72, Clara Young 72 75, Julie Boysen Hillestad 76 71, Michelle Forsland 74 73, Charlotte Millard 76 71, Larissa Du Preez 72 75, Lora Assad 74 73
148 – Maiken Bing Paulsen 74 74, Harang Lee 76 72
149 – Emie Peronnin 78 71, Kelsey Nicholas 78 71, Kylie Henry 80 69, Stacy Bregman 71 78
150 – Felicity Johnson 76 74, Bonita Bredenhann 77 73, Chae-Hyun Lee 76 74, Kiera Floyd 73 77, Clara Reigosa 77 73
Missed the cut:-
152 – Corinne Viden 75 77, Katharina Keilich 79 73, Michele Thomson 77 75, Brittney-Fay Berger 75 77
153 – Louise Duncan 79 74, Lynette Fourie 77 76, Nicola Schoeman 79 74, Shawnelle de Lange 75 78
154 – Verena Gimmy 79 75
155 – Florentyna Parker 80 75, Lenanda van der Watt 79 76, Jahaanvie Walia 76 79, Jae Bowers 82 73
156 – Woo-Ju Son 82 74, Carey Dodds 82 74
157 – Marta Perez Sanmartin 82 75, Linn Wiberg 80 77, Bronwyn Doeg 80 77, Linette Holmslykke 82 75
160 – Hannah Arnold 80 80, Leontine Petit 83 77, Tara Griebenow 78 82
161 – Sideri Vanova 82 79
163 – Kaylan Boshoff 81 82
165 – Cara Ford 86 79
166 – Lindi Coetzee 81 85, Chante van Zyl 90 76, Yolanda Duma 86 80
170 – Chante de Lange 82 88
174 – Hanne Sofie Borgen 92 82
177 – Judith van der Voort 95 82
178 – Shamiso Makwara 84 94
184 – Lauren Clough 91 93