Germany’s Celina Sattelkau is hunting back-to-back victories on the Sunshine Ladies Tour as she takes a three-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the NTT DATA Ladies’ Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank.
Playing The Links at Fancourt on Saturday in the first round of a tournament shortened to 36 holes because of the weather, Sattelkau opened with a bogey-free six-under-par 67.
Her nearest challenger is Scotland’s Laura Beveridge, who opened with a 70.
Sattelkau, the winner of last week’s SuperSport Ladies Challenge, said she was pleased with the way she managed her game on a challenging day of weather.
“The conditions today were pretty wet, so it was pretty much target golf. It’s very different from last week. There were a lot of opportunities to make birdies, but it is a difficult course. You can make bogey pretty easy as well,” she said.
The Links is a stern test at the best of times, and the German said she was pleased not to have dropped a single shot.
“I’m just really happy that I was able to get a lot of birdies and make no bogeys today. I only missed two greens and made two up-and-downs on those greens. I’m happy with how I handled this golf course mentally, especially with it being windy and wet, and with lots of blind shots.”
Sattelkau has been in terrific form on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season, winning last week’s SuperSport Ladies Challenge in a playoff with Casandra Alexander.
But she’s determined not to get ahead of herself.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I just want to stay patient, stay in the moment and have fun. I will focus on what I can control. I am trusting in my game and my abilities,” Sattekau said.
There is a five-way tie for third place on two under par, including three South Africans in Caitlyn Macnab, Kaiyuree Moodley and Gabrielle Venter.
SCORES
67 - Celina Sattelkau (GER)
70 - Laura Beveridge (SCO)
71 - Symone Henriques
71 - Sophie Witt (GER), Caitlyn Macnab, Kaiyuree Moodley, Gabrielle Venter
72 - Zane Kleynhans
72 - Ana Dawson (IMN), Lily May Humphreys (ENG)
73 - Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL)
73 - Alexandra Swayne (ISV), Emie Peronnin (FRA), Carolin Kauffmann (GER), Cara Gorlei
74 - Lenanda Nel
74 - Madelene Stavnar (NOR), Stacy Bregman, Danielle du Toit, Lee-Anne Pace
75 - Hannah Karg (GER)
75 - Kiera Floyd
76 - Tara Baglione
76 - Bronwyn Doeg, Chiara Horder (GER), Verena Gimmy (GER), Thalia Martin (ENG)
77 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ)
78 - Demi Flanagan
78 - Kaylah Williams, Ivanna van der Merwe, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR), Emily Penttila (FIN), Romy Meekers (NED), Isabella van Rooyen, Nadia van der Westhuizen
79 - Lora Assad
80 - Tandi McCallum
81 - Naom Wafula (KEN)
81 - Lorna McClymont (SCO)
83 - Pasqualle Coffa (NED)
83 - Kelsey Nicholas
85 - Tereza Melecka (CZE)
RTD - Tina Mazarino (NOR)