Gabrielle Venter tees it up on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this week as the last South African winner of the Standard Bank Ladies Open hosted by The City of Cape Town, and hoping to draw on the memory of the biggest victory of her career.
The R1-million tournament will be the third event on this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour, and tees off at Durbanville Golf Club from 5-7 March.
Venter won the title in 2024 at the historic Royal Cape Golf Club and she still has fond memories of what was her maiden victory as a professional.
“I think back to it a lot because it really boosted my career to get that win so early,” she said of a win that led to her most successful season to date on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
She finished that season ranked seventh on the final Investec Order of Merit. She followed that up with 15th on the Investec Order of Merit last season, and she’s finished in the top 20 in the first two tournaments of this season in what’s been a solid first few years of her professional career.
“I had a great season in 2025 but I’m always striving to improve. I’ve worked really hard this off season and I’m very happy with my game at the moment. I’ve seen some good things in my game over the past two tournaments and I’m really excited for the rest of the year.
"I’m really enjoying my career. I also enjoy Durbanville Golf Club because I think it’s a great test, especially in the wind, and I enjoy the two back-to-back par fives (holes five and six).”
The Standard Bank Ladies Open hosted by the City of Cape Town features another strong mix of local South African talent and international competition as the season continues to build towards the Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned events in April.
Germany’s Sophie Witt is the highest-ranked player in the field, currently in second place on the Investec Order of Merit. The field also includes another four former champions in South Africans Stacy Bregman, Lee-Anne Pace and Nadia van der Westhuizen, and England’s Hayley Davis.
“I really enjoy the international competition we get on the Sunshine Ladies Tour. It pushes you to play even better, and it’s great preparation for those Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned events,” said Venter.
The field is another strong reflection of the growth of this tournament.
“We’re thrilled to sponsor a tournament that creates meaningful opportunities for women’s golf to grow and thrive. We believe that women’s golf deserves the same attention, funding and prestige as the men’s game.
"Our involvement is about growth, sustainability, and progress for women in sport, and we are proud to help shape a dynamic future for golf in Africa,” says Jacques Els, Head of Wealth and Investment at Standard Bank South Africa.