Nadia van der Westhuizen used all of her experience on another challenging day at the Gary Player Country Club to claim a one-shot lead in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International.
Van Der Westhuizen, a winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and also a winner in the women’s competition of the Vodacom Origins of Golf on the Sunshine Tour, signed for the lowest round of the tournament thus far with a four-under-par 68 to lead on five under par overall.
“It was a wonderful day. It started off a bit shaky with the first hole but I had a good up-and-down for par there, and then just kept it steady from there. Then I just tried to keep it together on the back nine. I’m very happy with the round,” she said.
Her nearest challenger is Danielle de Toit on four under after her round of 70, while 2023 champion and last week’s Jabra Ladies Classic winner, Casandra Alexander, is currently third on two under after a second round of 69.
After turning in two under par for her round, Van Der Westhuizen made a further three birdies on the back nine and just one bogey.
“The first birdie on the back nine (on the 10th) was good, but I think I got a little bit ahead of myself and was too excited and made a drop on the 11th. My caddie told me to keep calm, just slow it down a bit, and stick to the process,” she said.
TOUGH COURSE
But she admits she had to draw on all of her experience to navigate a tough Gary Player Country Club course, with only eight players in the field able to shoot under par on day two.
“I must say the course is really playing tough. What I’ve learned in the past is that I don’t have to shoot lights out. Boring golf actually does it. For me it’s just about playing steady golf.”
The South African has her strategy worked out for Friday’s final day.
“I’ll definitely just stick to the same thing, do my processes well and just try and keep it in play.”
The second round also produced an ace, with South African Symone Henriques scoring a hole-in-one on the par-three 13th hole on her way to a total of seven over for the tournament.
SCORES
139 - Nadia van der Westhuizen 71 68
140 - Danielle du Toit 70 70
142 - Casandra Alexander 73 69
143 - Emma Falcher (FRA) 71 72
144 - Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 71 73
145 - Kiera Floyd 70 75, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 76 69, Kajal Mistry 73 72, Kaiyuree Moodley 74 71, Vidhatri Urs (IND) 70 75
146 - Emie Peronnin (FRA) 72 74, Harang Lee (ESP) 70 76, Chloe Salort (FRA) 76 70, Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 74 72, Bobbi Brown (a) 76 70
147 - Lee-Anne Pace 75 72, Lucie Malchirand (FRA) 75 72, Thalia Martin (ENG) 76 71
148 - Andrea Bergsdottir (ISL) 75 73, Lorna McClymont (SCO) 73 75, Nina Pegova (WHT) 77 71
149 - Pasqualle Coffa (NED) 73 76, Celina Sattelkau (GER) 76 73, Brittney-Fay Berger 75 74, Karoline Lund (NOR) 71 78, Stacy Bregman 73 76
150 - Gabrielle Venter 73 77, Isabella Deilert (SWE) 77 73, Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) 71 79, Chantal Dueringer (AUT) 72 78
151 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 73 78, Symone Henriques 76 75, Nikki Hofstede (NED) 78 73, Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 76 75, Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL) 75 76, Andrea Lignell (SWE) 78 73, Abigail O'Riordan (IRL) 78 73, Lisa Coetzer (a) 75 76, Clara Pietri (SUI) 76 75
152 - Ivanna Samu 77 75, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 76 76, Hannah Karg (GER) 75 77, Jane Turner (SCO) 76 76, Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 77 75, Lora Assad 80 72
Missed the cut:
153 - Rosie Belsham (ENG) 78 75
154 - Romy Meekers (NED) 77 77, Laura Beveridge (SCO) 79 75, Isabella van Rooyen 79 75, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 79 75
155 - Tiffany Arafi (SUI) 78 77
156 - Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 78 78, Cara Gorlei 81 75, Tandi McCallum 79 77, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 76 80
157 - Bronwyn Doeg 82 75, Kelsey Nicholas 78 79, Hannah Arnold (USA) 75 82, Selena Costabile (CAN) 80 77
158 - Natasha Fear (ESP) 83 75, Katherine Hollern (USA) 76 82, Nayanika Sanga (IND) 76 82, Lenanda van der Watt 79 79
159 - Cara Ford 82 77, Hanna Tauber (GER) 86 73, Isabella Holpfer (AUT) 81 78, Claire Minter (ZIM) 75 84, Ananya Garg (IND) 79 80
160 - Linn Wiberg (SWE) 81 79, Charlotte Millard (a) 78 82, Zethu Myeki 77 83
161 - Marta Perez Sanmartin (ESP) 84 77, Jahaanvie Walia (ZAM) 84 77, Lindi Coetzee 82 79
162 - Katrina Gillum (ENG) 79 83
163 - Shannon O'Dwyer (ENG) 79 84, Michelle Forsland (NOR) 84 79
164 - Judith van der Voort (NED) 82 82
165 - Louisa Carlbom (SWE) 84 81, Shawnelle de Lange 81 84
167 - Kim de Klerk 80 87
168 - Anais Meyssonnier (FRA) 85 83
169 - Yolanda Duma 82 87, Leontine Petit (FRA) 80 89
170 - Chante van Zyl 88 82
171 - Crizelda Terblanche 87 84
177 - Molly Lumley (ENG) 86 91
181 - Chante de Lange 89 92
185 - Michelle Swanepoel 95 90
WDN - Ellie Vorster (CAN) 83 WDN, Vanessa Knecht (SUI) 82 RTD