England’s Lauren Taylor concentrated on just being herself and playing her own style of golf in the opening round of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International at the Lost City Golf Course on Wednesday, and it paid off as she finished top of the leaderboard.
Taylor fired a four-under-par 68 to enjoy a one-stroke lead over Vanessa Knecht, Ana Dawson, Pasqualle Coffa and leading South African Kaleigh Telfer.
The 29-year-old Taylor played the back nine at Lost City first, and made the perfect start with birdies on the first three holes and another on the 15th.
A bogey-birdie finish to the back nine saw Taylor go out in 32, and she then came home in level-par thanks to a birdie on the ninth making up for a bogey on the par-five seventh.
“I was just trying to be myself out there and take it hole by hole,” Taylor said. “It was a good day. I made a hot start, it’s always nice to get three birdies first up, so then I just tried to keep being aggressive.
“All parts of my game were pretty good, but the best part was that I hit every fairway. My irons were also good and that’s always a good combo which will always give you chances. So I was hitting good shots and making birdies.
“I still gave myself some chances on the front nine but I just didn’t hole the putts. But I was very happy to finish with a birdie. I was feeling confident after a good week at Fancourt in the Dimension Data Pro-Am, but anything can happen in golf and you never know how it’s going to be on the day,” Taylor said.
The in-form Dawson, who led for most of the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am before eventually finishing tied-third, continued her fine form, her 69 including just one bogey – on the par-three 13th.
Telfer, who enjoyed an excellent Sunshine Ladies Tour campaign last year, posted five birdies with two bogeys to position herself just behind the leader.
Two South Africans, 2022 champion Paula Reto and amateur Isabella Ferreira, were two strokes back after shooting 70s, along with Romy Meekers of the Netherlands and Sweden’s Ellen Hutchinson-Key.
Ferreira also started on the back nine and reached the turn on one-over-par, but she was excellent on the front nine, collecting three birdies.
SCORES:
68 - Lauren Taylor
69 - Vanessa Knecht, Ana Dawson, Pasqualle Coffa, Kaleigh Telfer
70 - Isabella Ferreira, Paula Reto, Romy Meekers, Ellen Hutchinson-Kay
71 - Gabrielle Venter, Helen Kreuzer, Tandi McCallum, Stacy Bregman, Tvesa Malik
72 - Nina Pegova, Larissa Du Preez, Elena Hualde, Carolin Kauffmann, Tina Mazarino, Clara Young, Anna Magnusson
73 - Kiera Floyd, Lejan Lewthwaite, Alexandra Swayne, Emily Penttila, Amy Taylor
74 - Lora Assad, Maiken Bing Paulsen, Michelle Forsland, Georgia Coughlin
75 - Ivanna Samu, Brittney-Fay Berger, Nadia van der Westhuizen, Corinne Viden, Shawnelle de Lange
76 - Charlotte Millard, Harang Lee, Zethu Myeki, Lee-Anne Pace, Felicity Johnson, Julie Boysen Hillestad, Chae-Hyun Lee, Jahaanvie Walia, Ariane Klotz
77 - Michele Thomson, Jane Turner, Clara Reigosa, Bonita Bredenhann, Lynette Fourie
78 - Kelsey Nicholas, Tara Griebenow, Emie Peronnin
79 - Katharina Keilich, Verena Gimmy, Louise Duncan, Lenanda van der Watt, Nicola Schoeman
80 - Kylie Henry, Florentyna Parker, Linn Wiberg, Bronwyn Doeg, Hannah Arnold
81 - Kaylan Boshoff, Lindi Coetzee
82 - Carey Dodds, Chante de Lange, Linette Holmslykke, Sideri Vanova, Marta Perez Sanmartin, Woo-Ju Son, Jae Bowers
83 - Leontine Petit
84 - Shamiso Makwara
86 - Yolanda Duma, Cara Ford
90 - Chante van Zyl
91 - Lauren Clough
92 - Hanne Sofie Borgen
95 - Judith van der Voort