Nobuhle Dlamini fired a flawless four-under-par 68 to get off to a flying start in the inaugural Jabra Ladies Classic in Wednesday’s opening round at Glendower Golf Club.
It was a real statement of intent from the reigning Investec Property Fund Order of Merit leader, whose local knowledge came into good use on day one as she laid down a marker for a fourth Sunshine Ladies Tour victory. This good performance augers well for the start in the Ladies European Tour’s Jabra Ladies Open that comes with the trophy and winner’s share of the R200 000 prize fund.
The big-hitting Swazi national leads by three strokes from French golfer Anne-Lise Caudal and Lora Assad.
Kajal Mistry – second in the points race – carded a level-par 72 to tie for fourth with Kim Williams and India’s Tvesa Malik. Emilie Alonso from France and reigning SA Women’s Long Drive champion Lenanda van der Watt finished a further shot back.
Two years ago, Dlamini fired a final round 67 to force the Sunshine Ladies Tour Classic sponsored by Canon into extra time at Glendower. She traded pars with Carrie Park for the first three trips down the 18 before the South Korean won at the fourth play-off hole.
‘I wanted a fast start to put some space between myself and the field because I don’t want to go down that road again,’ admitted the home crowd favourite.
Dlamini started with three straight pars from the 10th hole, but three birdies on the bounce from the par-five 13th left the field in her wake. She set the uncontested first round target with a final birdie at the par-five eighth.
‘I was a little frustrated after I hit it close on the first two holes and missed both birdie putts, but I told myself to relax; I had a lot of holes left,’ Dlamini said. ‘On 13, I hit driver down the middle, 4-iron into the green and two-putted for birdie. If I’d hit the first putt harder, it would have gotten to the hole.
‘I had 143 metres at the par-three and I hit a 9-iron that pitched and spun back to a foot. On 15, I got caught in the rough with my second, but I nearly holed my chip shot. Made the short putt for birdie and then pars to the turn.
‘I made seven straight pars coming home before I birdied the par-five (eight). I hit a big drive and 8-iron from 158 metres on the green and two-putted for birdie. I hit lots of fairways and greens and gave myself a lot of chances, but the putting wasn’t great. I didn’t have any three-putts, but I had nine two-putts. I wasn’t comfortable with the putter, but I stayed patient.
‘If you hit fairways and greens at Glendower, you will roll one in eventually. It could have been better, but I’ll take 68. I controlled the ball pretty much how I wanted to, and I got the cushion I wanted.’
Mistry, who won the Jackie Mercer Trophy as the leading amateur in the Investec SA Women’s Open, heads up the amateur challenge for a sixth successive week.
The GolfRSA Elite Squad player lost the advantage of a birdie start at 10 to a bogey at the par-four 12th, but turned level par with steady golf over the next six holes. She birdied the first to dip under par again, but bogeyed six and seven before a birdie at eight landed her a share of third. The next best-placed amateur is 14-year-old Kiera Floyd from Boksburg, who signed for 74.
First round leaderboard:
All competitors RSA unless otherwise stated and amateurs indicated as AMA
68 – Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ)
71 – Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Lora Assad
72 – Kim Williams, Kajal Mistry AMA, Tvesa Malik (IND)
73 – Lenanda van der Watt, Emilie Alonso (FRA)
74 – Rachel Rossel (SUI), Kiera Floyd AMA, Nadia van der Westhuizen AMA, Nastja Banovec (SVN), Emilie Piquot (FRA), Lauren Taylor (ENG), Kyle Roig (PUR), Symone Henriques AMA
75 – Emma Westin (SWE), Moa Folke (SWE), Clara Pietri (SUI), Marion Duvernay (FRA), Tara Griebenow AMA, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM), Laurette Maritz, Millie Saroha (IND), Kelsey Nicholas
76 – Kiran Matharu (ENG), Jane Turner (SCO), Stephanie Barbaglia AMA, Flora Peuch (FRA)
77 – Larissa du Preez AMA, Lejan Lewthwaite, Dominique Jacobs, Lara Weinstein
78 – Bertine Faber, Casandra Hall
79 – Eleanor Givens (ENG), Tandi Mc Callum, Eleonora Galletti AMA, Gabriella Venter AMA
80 – Monique Smit, Yolanda Duma
81 – Lindi Coetzee, Julie Berton (FRA), Kim de Klerk AMA, Michelle Leigh
82 – Georgia Oboh (NGA), Mae Cornforth, Siviwe Duma, Crizelda van Niekerk, Alana van Greuning
83 – Brittney-Fay Berger, Sunelle von Molendorff
84 – Kyra van Kan AMA, Chiara Contomathios, Carmen Taljaard AMA, Charlotte Austwick (ENG)
85 – Leslie Grandet (MAD)
87 – Shanice de Gee AMA, Alisa Rich AMA (UKR)
88 – Lynette Fourie
91 – Teagan Lubbe AMA, Rachelle Cardinal
101 – Jenny Havenga AMA
WDN – Stacy Bregman
