Lau closed with a 69 to tie for the lead with last year’s runner-up, Scotland’s Lorna McClymont (69), and South Africa’s Danielle du Toit (68), on nine under par.

Playing the par-four 18th again as the first playoff hole, Lau made birdie to secure the title as her two opponents had to settle for pars.

“I’m really happy and excited. This is also my first professional win,” said Lau, who also became only the second French winner of this title after Anne-Lise Caudal in 2019.

It was a dramatic end to a tournament that looked to be within McClymont’s grasp until she bogeyed the final hole to slip back into the playoff.

“I thought I really did good and I stayed really composed,” said Lau. “Before the round I decided to stay focussed on the process rather than thinking of the results, as sometimes I overthink my shots. My short game was good throughout the week, and today especially. I started feeling the pressure at the end as I knew I was very close to winning, so I placed a bit of positive pressure on myself. Overall I’m very proud of what I have done.”

Claiming her first professional victory in a playoff was also a boost for Lau.

“I hit a really good three-wood that left me a wedge shot in. I had adrenalin from the playoff so I took a club down and it was the perfect distance. The other two (McClymont and Du Toit) made par so I knew I had to make that birdie putt, and I could feel the pressure. I just focussed on my routine and stroke and it went in,” Lau said.

Scotland’s McClymont had to settle for second place for the second year running, this time joined by South Africa’s Du Toit.

SCORES

207 – Lois Lau (FRA) 71 67 69 WN
207 – Danielle du Toit 69 70 68 KO
207 – Lorna McClymont (SCO) 70 68 69 KO
208 – Hulda Gestsdottir (ISL) 69 72 67
209 – Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 69 72 68
209 – Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE) 67 71 71
210 – Jess Baker (BRI) 70 68 72
212 – Lianna Bailey (ENG) 69 74 69
214 – Louisa Carlbom (SWE) 74 70 70
215 – Nadia van der Westhuizen 75 68 72
215 – Hanna Tauber (GER) 71 72 72, Sophie Witt (GER) 69 73 73
216 – Ivanna van der Merwe 73 72 71
216 – Stacy Bregman 74 73 69, Romy Meekers (NED) 72 72 72, Rebecca Earl (ENG) 75 68 73
217 – Lisa Coetzer (a) 78 68 71
217 – Anita Uwadia (BRI) 76 69 72, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 77 70 70, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 72 72 73, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 73 75 69, Ashley Chow (CAN) 73 70 74, Ellie Gower (ENG) 70 70 77
218 – Rosie Belsham (ENG) 72 74 72
218 – Bobbi Brown 74 72 72, Tina Mazarino (NOR) 74 71 73, Andrea Bergsdottir (ISL) 75 73 70
219 – Cara Gorlei 73 72 74
219 – Ekaterina Malakhova (WHT) 76 72 71
220 – Michelle Forsland (NOR) 73 72 75
220 – Ellen Hume (ENG) 70 75 75
221 – Doris Chen (TPE) 76 70 75
221 – Tiffany Arafi (SUI) 74 73 74, Zane Kleynhans 73 74 74, Kaiyuree Moodley 75 73 73, Kiera Floyd 73 75 73
222 – Chiara Horder (GER) 75 70 77
222 – Canice Screene (IRL) 75 72 75
223 – Chloe Salort (FRA) 72 74 77
224 – Kelsey Nicholas 74 74 76
225 – Hester Sicking (NED) 74 74 77

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

The post Rookie Lau claims Jabra Ladies Classic in playoff appeared first on SportsClub.

On a wet and rainy day in Johannesburg, Du Toit signed for a second round of 70 to climb to five under par overall. She is one shot behind the leading quartet of France’s Lois Lau (67), Czech Kristyna Napoleaova (71), Britain’s Jess Baker (68) and Scotland’s Lorna McClymont (68).

“The conditions were quite challenging with the rain and wind that made life interesting. It was important to keep the ball in play and be patient. I wish I putted a little bit better, but I struck the ball nicely and stuck to my gameplan which delivered a good result. I did leave a few shots out there, but all in all I’m happy with where I am in the tournament, and hopefully tomorrow I go a bit lower,” said Du Toit.

After winning on the Sunshine Ladies Tour last week and now contending again, Du Toit is pleased to see the results of some hard work she’s put into her game.

“My game is in a good place. I’m happy the hard work is paying off. I’m finally starting to see the results of about six months of really hard work. I’m excited and it bodes well for the rest of the year.”

With more rain expected for Friday’s last round, Du Toit says she’s determined not to let the weather put a damper on her game.

“Whether it rains or the wind blows it doesn’t really matter. The game stays the same – just hit the ball on the fairway, hit the ball on the green, hit the putt. If it comes off or not, I’m going to go out there and give it my all and have fun,” Du Toit said.

SCORES

138 – Lois Lau (FRA) 71 67
138 – Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE) 67 71, Jess Baker (BRI) 70 68, Lorna McClymont (SCO) 70 68
139 – Danielle du Toit 69 70
140 – Ellie Gower (ENG) 70 70
141 – Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 69 72
141 – Hulda Gestsdottir (ISL) 69 72
142 – Sophie Witt (GER) 69 73
143 – Hanna Tauber (GER) 71 72
143 – Ashley Chow (CAN) 73 70, Nadia van der Westhuizen 75 68, Rebecca Earl (ENG) 75 68, Lianna Bailey (ENG) 69 74
144 – Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 72 72
144 – Romy Meekers (NED) 72 72, Louisa Carlbom (SWE) 74 70
145 – Chiara Horder (GER) 75 70
145 – Tina Mazarino (NOR) 74 71, Cara Gorlei 73 72, Ivanna van der Merwe 73 72, Anita Uwadia (BRI) 76 69, Ellen Hume (ENG) 70 75, Michelle Forsland (NOR) 73 72
146 – Rosie Belsham (ENG) 72 74
146 – Bobbi Brown 74 72, Lisa Coetzer (a) 78 68, Doris Chen (TPE) 76 70, Chloe Salort (FRA) 72 74
147 – Tiffany Arafi (SUI) 74 73
147 – Stacy Bregman 74 73, Zane Kleynhans 73 74, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 77 70, Canice Screene (IRL) 75 72
148 – Kelsey Nicholas 74 74
148 – Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 73 75, Kaiyuree Moodley 75 73, Kiera Floyd 73 75, Andrea Bergsdottir (ISL) 75 73, Ekaterina Malakhova (WHT) 76 72, Hester Sicking (NED) 74 74

Issued By Michael Vlismas Media

The post Du Toit still chasing a double in Jabra Ladies Classic appeared first on SportsClub.

Du Toit, who won last week’s Standard Bank Open hosted by The City of Cape Town, opened with a round of three-under-par 69, with former Czech national team footballer turned professional golfer, Kristyna Napoleaova, leading the way after a five-under-par 67.

Eswatini’s Nobuhle Dlamini is also well-placed on three under in a tournament where she’s twice finished runner-up in the past, and on the back of finishing fourth last week.

“I’m playing well and enjoying my game. I’m solid off the tee and my putting has improved a lot. Killarney is a tricky course. It’s short and tight, and tricky around the greens. But my gameplan off the tee was very good. I didn’t capitalise on the par fives, which I’m a bit disappointed about. But I put myself in a position to win last week, and I’m starting to feel like that’s a possibility now,” said Dlamini.

But it was Napoleaova – who left football after an injured and turned to golf instead – who took the greatest advantage on Wednesday, despite not feeling on top of her game at the start of the round.

“In the warm-up it didn’t go my way. I was extremely frustrated. I was in a conversation with my mental coach the night before though and she gave me advice on how to handle that. Today I was taking it one shot at a time and just trying to focus on those things. It ended up being a good and enjoyable round of golf which I am super proud of,” said Napoleaova, a winner on the Ladies European Tour in 2023.

Napoleaova has had three top-10 finishes on the Sunshine Ladies Tour to date but is still searching for a maiden win here.

“I love playing on the Sunshine Ladies Tour. I love the people, the environment, the country, the culture and especially the food. This is also where I started my professional career in 2020,” she said.

SCORES

67 – Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE)
69 – Hulda Gestsdottir (ISL)
69 – Lianna Bailey (ENG), Sophie Witt (GER), Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ), Danielle du Toit
70 – Ellen Hume (ENG)
70 – Jess Baker (BRI), Lorna McClymont (SCO), Ellie Gower (ENG)
71 – Lois Lau (FRA)
71 – Hanna Tauber (GER)
72 – Michaela Vavrova (SVK)
72 – Gala Dumez (FRA), Chloe Salort (FRA), Rosie Belsham (ENG), Marianne Skarpnord (NOR), Madelene Stavnar (NOR), Romy Meekers (NED)
73 – Michelle Forsland (NOR)
73 – Ashley Chow (CAN), Carolin Kauffmann (GER), Zane Kleynhans, Cara Gorlei, Kiera Floyd, Ivanna van der Merwe
74 – Hester Sicking (NED)
74 – Louisa Carlbom (SWE), Tiffany Arafi (SUI), Stacy Bregman, Kelsey Nicholas, Bobbi Brown, Tina Mazarino (NOR), Lenanda Nel, Demi Flanagan, Lee-Anne Pace
75 – Andrea Bergsdottir (ISL)
75 – Charlotte Liautier (FRA), Canice Screene (IRL), Rebecca Earl (ENG), Megan Dennis (ENG), Chiara Horder (GER), Hayley Davis (ENG), Kaiyuree Moodley, Nadia van der Westhuizen
76 – Anita Uwadia (BRI)
76 – Ekaterina Malakhova (WHT), Elina Saksa (FIN), Doris Chen (TPE), Theresa de Bochdanovits (GER), Lora Assad, Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL), Verena Gimmy (GER)
77 – Casey Twidale (a)
77 – Claire Minter (ZIM), Louise Rydqvist (SWE), Sofie Bringner (SWE), Mia Eales-Smith (ENG), Linn Wiberg (SWE), Jordan Rothman, Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR), Hannah Karg (GER), Bronwyn Doeg, Lindi Coetzee, Symone Henriques, Emie Peronnin (FRA)
78 – Suzette Venter
78 – Chante van Zyl, Anais Meyssonnier (FRA), Lisa Coetzer (a), Charlotte Millard (a), Nina Pegova (WHT)
79 – Anna Backman (FIN)
79 – Tandi McCallum, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR), Tereza Melecka (CZE), Kaylah Williams
80 – Cheslyn Jacobs (a)
80 – Leontine Petit (FRA), Tara Baglione, Zethu Myeki
81 – Naom Wafula (KEN)
81 – Shawnelle de Lange, Cara Ford, Gabrielle Venter, Pasqualle Coffa (NED), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)
82 – Danielle Hardwick (ENG)
82 – Kim de Klerk, Ffion Tynan (WAL)
83 – Yolanda Duma
84 – Amy Fletcher
84 – Ouname Mhotsha (BOT), Clara Pietri (SUI), Crizelda Terblanche, Lynette Fourie
85 – Lilly Speer (a) (GER)
87 – Ellandri van Heerden
89 – Phenyo Sebata (a)
RTD – Louise Duncan (SCO)

Issued By Michael Vlismas Media

The post Napoleaova leads with Du Toit and Dlamini chasing in Jabra Ladies Classic appeared first on SportsClub.

In the four years that Gorlei has been a pro, she had racked up 11 top-10 finishes and earned more than R600 000 in prizemoney and has also qualified for the Ladies European Tour, before sealing the deal and getting her hands on the trophy by a stroke at Glendower on Friday.

Gorlei was lying second, two shots behind at the start of the final round, and she kept herself in the conversation throughout, even as Stacy Bregman, Moa Folke, Gabriella Cowley and Lisa Pettersson all made a charge, while overnight leader Maiken Bing Paulsen also stayed in contention.

A bogey at the par-three sixth meant the 28-year-old Gorlei was level-par for her round. But she immediately followed that up with birdies on the seventh and eighth holes. Others faltered as Gorlei reached the turn and the pressure of the situation brought out the best in the Capetonian as she was inspired on the back nine. Three birdies in four holes from the 11th put her in front and she reached the last hole with a two-shot lead, making her bogey on the 18th all the more palatable.

She still posted her third successive 68 to finish on 12-under-par, one ahead of Pettersson, who shot an outstanding 67 to finish on 11-under.

“I was trying not to think about the lead, until the 11th, when I started to get a bit nervous. My first win started to play on my mind a little bit and then on 13 I saw on a leaderboard that Lisa Pettersson was right up there with me,” Gorlei said.

“But it just made me focus harder because I realised it was not done yet. I knew I was playing well enough and I just stuck to my routines. Obviously it’s awesome to get the win done and I am really happy that I stayed level-headed.

“I’ve been in two playoffs and lost them both, so it was nice to get the monkey off my back without having to go to another playoff. I have my first pro win and now I can start going,” Gorlei beamed.
In a sign of her mental maturity, Gorlei realised that she may not have had her A-game with her on Friday, so she settled into a prudent approach.

“I struggled a bit off the tee today, which made it quite tough. My game was not in the right place for me to play aggressively; I enjoy playing that way, I like to chase and sneak in from behind, but today I was pretty conservative.

“Different parts of my game showed up at different times. At times my putting really saved me, down the stretch my irons were pretty solid, but they weren’t on the front nine. So it was a little bit of everything that came together,” Gorlei said.

While Pettersson’s 67 was bogey-free as she charged up the leaderboard from four shots off the pace, the other contenders made costly errors.

Folke reached the turn in four-under and was leading, but three bogeys in a row from the 11thmeant her challenge faded and the Swede finished fourth on nine-under-par after a 69.
Bregman also went through the front nine in 32, but bogeys on the par-four 11th and par-three 14th saw her fall four strokes short in a tie for fifth on eight-under.

Paulsen, who led after the first and second rounds, was level-par on Friday through eight holes, but she then dropped four strokes to also finish on eight-under, alongside Bregman and Nina Pegova (69).

Cowley was five-under through 13 holes, but then a bogey at the par-five 15th saw her end in third place on 10-under-par.

SCORES:

204 – Cara Gorlei 68 68 68
205 – Lisa Pettersson (SWE) 70 68 67
206 – Gabriella Cowley (ENG) 67 71 68
207 – Moa Folke (SWE) 70 68 69
208 – Stacy Bregman 71 68 69, Nina Pegova (WHT) 66 73 69, Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 66 68 74
210 – Lee-Anne Pace 72 69 69, Elena Hualde (ESP) 70 68 72
211 – Verena Gimmy (GER) 70 74 67, Pia Babnik (SVN) 71 72 68
212 – Casandra Alexander 73 71 68, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 74 71 67
213 – Kiera Floyd 72 70 71, Nadia van der Westhuizen 68 72 73
214 – Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 72 72 70
215 – Sanna Nuutinen (FIN) 71 73 71, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 74 69 72, Harang Lee (ESP) 75 73 67
216 – Nicole Garcia 71 74 71, Tandi McCallum 69 74 73, Kyra van Kan (a) 74 73 69
217 – Brittney-Fay Berger 72 73 72
218 – Tvesa Malik (IND) 73 73 72, Danielle du Toit 77 70 71, Linette Holmslykke (DEN) 70 71 77, Lindi Coetzee 75 73 70, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 74 75 69
219 – Zethu Myeki 74 72 73, Corinne Viden (SWE) 76 70 73, Ivanna Samu 77 71 71
220 – Helen Kreuzer (GER) 71 72 77, Bronwyn Doeg 69 74 77, Isabella van Rooyen 73 74 73
221 – Mireia Prat (ESP) 71 73 77, Kelsey Nicholas 70 74 77, Jane Turner (SCO) 76 73 72
222 – Kylie Henry (SCO) 72 70 80, Gia Raad (a) 74 73 75
223 – Romy Meekers (NED) 70 77 76, Lenanda van der Watt 75 73 75
224 – Chante van Zyl 75 74 75
227 – Katharina Keilich (GER) 75 72 80
229 – Tara Griebenow 72 75 82
Missed the cut:-
150 – Hanna Tauber (GER) 75 75, Tereza Melecka (CZE) 73 77, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 75 75, Lejan Lewthwaite 75 75, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 75 75
151 – Lora Assad 73 78, Jahaanvie Walia (ZAM) 76 75, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 72 79
152 – Shawnelle de Lange 76 76
153 – Judith van der Voort (NED) 76 77, Ellen Hutchinson-Kay (SWE) 80 73, Michelle Forsland (NOR) 77 76, Ridhima Dilawari (IND) 77 76, Gabrielle Venter 77 76
154 – Kristin Sim (NOR) 74 80, Larissa Du Preez 73 81
156 – Gina Da Silva (a) 81 75, Kaylan Boshoff 75 81, Michelle Leigh 81 75
157 – Yolanda Duma 76 81
159 – Julie Boysen Hillestad (NOR) 77 82
160 – Crizelda Terblanche 76 84, Christina Gloor (SUI) 81 79
163 – Leontine Petit (FRA) 79 84, Chante de Lange 78 85
166 – Loice Chingono (ZIM) 85 81
167 – Carey Dodds 86 81
170 – Lea Ndjobouela (GAB) 90 80
171 – Lynette Fourie 86 85

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

Photo by Troy Winfield/Sunshine Tour

The post Maiden win for Gorlei with Jabra Ladies Classic title appeared first on SportsClub.

Paulsen shot a four-under-par 68 in the second round on Thursday to climb to 10-under-par for the tournament, doing extremely well to back up her 66 on the first day on a day when the scoring was higher and no-one managed to shoot lower than her.

South Africa’s Cara Gorlei also fired a 68 on Thursday and lies second on eight-under-par, while Elena Hualde (Spain) and the Swedish duo of Lisa Pettersson and Moa Folke were also four-under for the second round and shared third place with England’s Gabriella Cowley (71) on six-under-par.

The 27-year-old Paulsen was level-par through the first seven holes, but then chipped in for eagle on the par-five eighth. She dropped her second shot on the par-four 11th, but Paulsen caught fire in the middle of the back nine as she birdied the 13th, chipped in again for eagle on the 15th and birdied the 16th.

Unfortunately she bogeyed the par-three 17th, but Paulsen was still understandably delighted with her round.

“It was a good day even though my putting didn’t get the ball in the hole as much as the first day. But I had three chip-ins, for both of my eagles and to birdie the fourth, and I was really steady off the tee,” she said.

A small struggle with her iron play was the only worry for Paulsen, but she handled it with aplomb thanks to her excellent short game.

“My irons were a bit of a struggle, so hopefully I figure that out for the final round. I only gave myself a few good opportunities on the front nine and I almost lost my ball when I bogeyed the seventh. So it was an interesting front nine, but I just tried to keep going and stay positive.

“There were some interesting pins and because the course is still wet it was playing quite long. But there was a little less wind today, which was nice. I didn’t find a big difference in difficulty today, but then I was hitting the ball so well on to the fairways, I am quite long off the tee, so that advantage meant maybe I didn’t notice.

“I’ve been trying to work on my swing and I’ve changed a lot, so that’s why my irons are still a bit flaky. Mistakes will happen in this transition period, but in the final round I’m just going to keep doing what I do. It’s the boring answer, but I just want to give myself chances, be in the fairways, try and make sure my irons are decent and hopefully the putts go in and it’s a happy day,” Paulsen said.

It was also a happy day for Gorlei, who scorched through the back nine in four-under 32.
Russia’s Nina Pegova, who shared the first-round lead with Paulsen, started her second round on the back nine and reached the turn in one-under, but then had a nightmare start to the front nine as she bogeyed the second and double-bogeyed the fourth hole. She finished with a 73 to drop back to five-under-par, sharing seventh place with South Africa’s Stacy Bregman, who was also part of the impressive 68-Club.

SCORES:

134 – Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 66 68
136 – Cara Gorlei 68 68
138 – Gabriella Cowley (ENG) 67 71, Elena Hualde (ESP) 70 68, Lisa Pettersson (SWE) 70 68, Moa Folke (SWE) 70 68
139 – Nina Pegova (WHT) 66 73, Stacy Bregman 71 68
140 – Nadia van der Westhuizen 68 72
141 – Linette Holmslykke (DEN) 70 71, Lee-Anne Pace 72 69
142 – Kiera Floyd 72 70, Kylie Henry (SCO) 72 70
143 – Pia Babnik (SVN) 71 72, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 74 69, Bronwyn Doeg 69 74, Tandi McCallum 69 74, Helen Kreuzer (GER) 71 72
144 – Kelsey Nicholas 70 74, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 72 72, Verena Gimmy (GER) 70 74, Sanna Nuutinen (FIN) 71 73, Casandra Alexander 73 71, Mireia Prat (ESP) 71 73
145 – Brittney-Fay Berger 72 73, Nicole Garcia 71 74, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 74 71
146 – Zethu Myeki 74 72, Corinne Viden (SWE) 76 70, Tvesa Malik (IND) 73 73
147 – Isabella van Rooyen 73 74, Danielle du Toit 77 70, Tara Griebenow 72 75, Kyra van Kan (a) 74 73, Gia Raad (a) 74 73, Romy Meekers (NED) 70 77, Katharina Keilich (GER) 75 72
148 – Lindi Coetzee 75 73, Lenanda van der Watt 75 73, Ivanna Samu 77 71, Harang Lee (ESP) 75 73
149 – Chante van Zyl 75 74, Jane Turner (SCO) 76 73, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 74 75
Missed the cut:-
150 – Hanna Tauber (GER) 75 75, Tereza Melecka (CZE) 73 77, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 75 75, Lejan Lewthwaite 75 75, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 75 75
151 – Lora Assad 73 78, Jahaanvie Walia (ZAM) 76 75, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 72 79
152 – Shawnelle de Lange 76 76
153 – Judith van der Voort (NED) 76 77, Ellen Hutchinson-Kay (SWE) 80 73, Michelle Forsland (NOR) 77 76, Ridhima Dilawari (IND) 77 76, Gabrielle Venter 77 76
154 – Kristin Sim (NOR) 74 80, Larissa Du Preez 73 81
156 – Gina Da Silva (a) 81 75, Kaylan Boshoff 75 81, Michelle Leigh 81 75
157 – Yolanda Duma 76 81
159 – Julie Boysen Hillestad (NOR) 77 82
160 – Crizelda Terblanche 76 84, Christina Gloor (SUI) 81 79
163 – Leontine Petit (FRA) 79 84, Chante de Lange 78 85
166 – Loice Chingono (ZIM) 85 81
167 – Carey Dodds 86 81
170 – Lea Ndjobouela (GAB) 90 80
171 – Lynette Fourie 86 85

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

Photo by Troy Winfield/Sunshine Tour

The post Paulsen flying high after two eagles to lead Jabra Ladies Classic appeared first on SportsClub.

Russia’s Nina Pegova also shot a 66, but there was little doubt Paulsen was the club favourite.
That’s because whenever the 27-year-old is in South Africa playing on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, she bases herself in Johannesburg and uses the scenic Glendower course for training purposes.

“This is my home away from home, I have spent a lot of time here at Glendower,” Paulsen said after her round of six birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

“They have been really nice to me over the years, letting me practise here on this beautiful and tough course.

“So I know the members well and the staff have been very good to me. And it was a really enjoyable round today, I was really steady off the tee and I didn’t miss any fairways. And my putting was exceptional, I can’t remember when last I holed so many, but that’s something you can’t always count on,” Paulsen said.

In her fifth year on the Ladies European Tour, Paulsen began her round at Glendower on Wednesday on the 10th and produced a scintillating front nine with five birdies and no dropped shots.

The front nine was more testing for her as she started with three pars and then went bogey-birdie-bogey. The turning point, and the shot that ultimately put her top of the leaderboard, came on the seventh tee.

“They moved us up this morning and the flag was 215 metres away. I wasn’t sure whether to use a three-wood because I thought that may have been too long, so I just hit a high fade instead and it landed a metre-and-a-half from the flag, then I made the eagle putt,” a delighted Paulsen said.

She only had a lease on the sole lead, however, because about 20 minutes later, Pegova joined her on six-under after making a birdie on the par-three 17th. It was the 30-year-old’s eighth birdie of the day, and she also had two bogeys, on the fifth and 10th holes, both par-fours.

England’s Gabriella Cowley was alone in third after shooting a 67, while South Africans Cara Gorlei and Nadia van der Westhuizen shared fourth on four-under-par. Fellow South Africans Tandi McCallum and Bronwyn Doeg were tied in sixth place after making 69s.

SCORES:

66 – Nina Pegova (WHT), Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR)
67 – Gabriella Cowley (ENG)
68 – Cara Gorlei, Nadia van der Westhuizen
69 – Tandi McCallum, Bronwyn Doeg
70 – Lisa Pettersson (SWE), Verena Gimmy (GER), Romy Meekers (NED), Moa Folke (SWE), Kelsey Nicholas, Elena Hualde (ESP), Linette Holmslykke (DEN)
71 – Stacy Bregman, Sanna Nuutinen (FIN), Mireia Prat (ESP), Nicole Garcia, Helen Kreuzer (GER), Pia Babnik (SVN)
72 – Brittney-Fay Berger, Alexandra Swayne (ISV), Kiera Floyd, Carolin Kauffmann (GER), Kylie Henry (SCO), Lee-Anne Pace, Tara Griebenow
73 – Casandra Alexander, Tvesa Malik (IND), Larissa Du Preez, Isabella van Rooyen, Lora Assad, Tereza Melecka (CZE)
74 – Kyra van Kan (a), Bonita Bredenhann (NAM), Gia Raad (a), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Kristin Sim (NOR), Florentyna Parker (ENG), Zethu Myeki
75 – Lauren Taylor (ENG), Lejan Lewthwaite, Emie Peronnin (FRA), Harang Lee (ESP), Katharina Keilich (GER), Hanna Tauber (GER), Lindi Coetzee, Chante van Zyl, Kaylan Boshoff, Lenanda van der Watt
76 – Corinne Viden (SWE), Yolanda Duma, Crizelda Terblanche, Shawnelle de Lange, Jane Turner (SCO), Jahaanvie Walia (ZAM), Judith van der Voort (NED)
77 – Michelle Forsland (NOR), Ridhima Dilawari (IND), Julie Boysen Hillestad (NOR), Gabrielle Venter, Danielle du Toit, Ivanna Samu
78 – Chante de Lange
79 – Leontine Petit (FRA)
80 – Ellen Hutchinson-Kay (SWE)
81 – Christina Gloor (SUI), Gina Da Silva (a), Michelle Leigh
85 – Loice Chingono (ZIM)
86 – Lynette Fourie, Carey Dodds
90 – Lea Ndjobouela (GAB)

Issued by Michael Vlismas Media

Photo by Troy Winfield/Sunshine Tour

The post Norway’s Paulsen tied for the lead in Jabra Ladies Classic at Glendower appeared first on SportsClub.

This is the final Sunshine Ladies Tour event before the lucrative co-sanctioned tournaments – the Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein and the SA Women’s Open at Erinvale – and Gorlei is also honing her game before she returns to campaigning full-time on the Ladies European Tour.

In between her LET commitments, the 28-year-old has finished tied-fifth in the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am at Fancourt and last week she showed ominous form as she fired a 66 in the final round to finish third in the Absa Ladies Invitational at Serengeti.

It is that sense that the changes to her swing are now bedded in and the similarities between Serengeti and Glendower that have Gorlei approaching the R1 million Jabra Ladies Classic with confidence.

“My coach, Doug Wood, and I have been working on some new moves, basically just my positions in my swing and where I need to be, and that seems to be coming a bit more naturally to me now,” Gorlei, a former SA Women’s Amateur champion, said.

“So I’m looking forward to playing the Jabra Ladies Classic this week and hopefully I can keep that momentum from the last day at Serengeti. Glendower is the same sort of course in the sense that you have to hit the fairways. The rough at Serengeti was super-thick and it can be pretty long at Glendower as well. With all the rain around, it could also be wet, so the course will play a bit longer, but we experienced that at Serengeti, so that won’t be something new,” Gorlei said.

The last two tournaments have seen the very fabric of the Sunshine Ladies Tour change with first Gabrielle Venter and then Casandra Alexander breaking the stranglehold overseas golfers had on the winner’s podium. Now, as the series stands poised to be woven into the Ladies European Tour, the foreign golfers are bound to push hard again for the top spots.

But just as Gorlei, 10th on the Investec Order of Merit, raised her game at the end of the Absa Ladies Invitational, she says she is ready to push even harder as the South African campaign heads to its conclusion.

“For the first couple of events, the top South African golfers had other LET events that took them overseas, but now we are back and really keen to perform at home. I have a real drive to get that win.

“Any competitive golf helps and it’s nice to get a lot of rounds in before we start travelling again. After Modderfontein and the SA Open, we go to Korea. Germany and France, and it’s a long stretch of tournaments. But it’s nice to be at home because you can go and put the work in with your coach and there are other aspects that are good too,” Gorlei said.

South Africans have won five of the eight Jabra Ladies Classic tournaments played at Glendower, but the patterns of overseas success this season is shown on the Investec Order of Merit, where Scotland’s Kylie Henry leads and German Helen Kreuzer and Tvesa Malik of India are all in the top-five.

Alexander (6th) is the defending champion at Glendower, while Venter (2nd) and Lee-Anne Pace (3rd) should also be strong South African contenders.

Photo by Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour

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