Bobbi Brown was in a league of her own on Friday as she romped home by eight shots to take victory in the GolfRSA International Amateur Championship at Royal Johannesburg Golf Club on the East Course.
Brown’s closing five-under-par 67 was comfortably the best round of the final day as she rammed home the advantage she had held since she took the lead in the second round with a six-under 66 at the challenging Royal Johannesburg East Course.
With Olivia Wood a distant second in her rearview mirror, 21-year-old Brown could have been forgiven for taking her foot off the gas, but such thoughts had no place in the mind of someone who has become pretty efficient at closing things out.
She made two birdies and a bogey on the front nine to turn in one-under, and then she turned on the screws with four birdies in the final seven holes, making one gain every two holes from the 12 on home.
“I have been playing very aggressively in all my recent tournaments and especially going into the last rounds,” the Western Province golfer said. “I prefer to stay as aggressive as possible, as playing more tentatively could let other girls get in the frame.”
“I am definitely playing the best golf of my career by far,” she said. “This is what I’ve been working towards. This is what I've been waiting for and it feels great.”
Wood had a good front nine in what was a strong start to an attempt to hunt down Brown, with three birdies ahead of the turn moving her to within two of the leader.
However, her chase stuttered down the final nine and a double-bogey six on the 11th – the only time she dropped any shots on that hole all week – put paid to whatever faint chances there were of chasing down Brown.
The KwaZulu-Natal golfer posted 71 to take second place on a creditable six-under-par, and she finished a gaping 10 strokes clear of the duo who shared third on four-over-par, Megan Marais and Lourenda Steyn, with Reunion’s Melliyal Schmitt in fifth place on seven-over-par. Marais closed strongest of this with her final round of four-under-par 68.
'MOTIVATING AND ENCOURAGING'
Two-for-two in victories for the 2025 season after a runaway 10-stroke triumph in the Eastern Province Border Stroke Play Championship last weekend, Brown was thrilled to be back to form.
“It’s very motivating for me to be playing so well in such a big tournament,” she said. “It’s the first time that I have had about a year of training solidly, so it’s nice to see it all paying off. This time last year, I was struggling with my back injury. I hadn’t had a solid amount of time to practice and prepare and you could see that by my results.
“I’ve been putting a lot of work into my golf, so it’s nice to be standing here now. It’s nice to see some positivity in my game, and it’s just very encouraging for my golf going forward.”
Looking ahead for Brown means Leopard Creek and the Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational next week.
“I know Leopard Creek. I was there last year, and I really enjoyed it,” she said. “It should be the same feeling as going into today with a four-shot lead. I know I’m playing really well, so I just need to keep a calm head and play aggressively.”