Casandra Alexander is back on home fairways this week as she leads the South African challenge in a Joburg Ladies Open at Randpark Golf Club that has drawn the top-ranked players from both the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour for this co-sanctioned event.
Alexander returns in some of the best form of her career, having risen to No 1 on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and now the highest ranked South African at 41st in the world.
According to her coach, Grant Veenstra, who works with many of South Africa’s top men’s and women’s professionals, Alexander has the potential to become even better.
“I definitely think she is a world top-10 player. No doubt. She has always been an athlete and a great competitor who doesn’t like to lose. But now we’ve worked really hard on a consistency to her swing that is showing itself in her performances,” he says.
Alexander returns as the last South African champion of the Joburg Ladies Open in 2021 and the runner-up last year. But she’s expecting a tough challenge from a top-class field this week.
“There are a lot more Europeans coming out to the Sunshine Ladies Tour. Some really good players are coming out here, and that’s what our Tour needs. We need that push of some good young players and then the experienced campaigners so that our quality of golf goes up,” she said.
As for her own game, Alexander is in a good place for the challenge of Randpark’s championship Firethorn course.
“My ball striking and iron play have always been my strong suite, and I think it’s important to maintain the skills you have while working on other areas of your game. I’ve been focusing on the short game a lot this year. Putting in particular has been a big focus point for me this year.”
With Alexander in the field as well as France’s Agathe Laisne and Australia’s Kelsey Bennett, the Ladies European Tour’s top three-ranked players are in Johannesburg.
From the Sunshine Ladies Tour, Germany’s Celina Sattelkau tees off as the leader on the Investec Order of Merit and is hunting a third victory on the Tour this season after winning the opening two tournaments. Fellow German Sophie Witt, currently second on the Investec Order of Merit, is also in the field this week.
The South African challenge is bolstered by Danielle du Toit, Gabrielle Venter and Nadia van der Westhuizen, who have all won on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season.
And the presence of France’s Lois Lau means that every single winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season will be playing this week.
It’s certainly a week of opportunity for the field, with the last two winners of the Joburg Ladies Open – Mimi Rhodes and Chiara Tamburlini – having both gone on to secure LPGA Tour cards thereafter.