The stars of both the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour will gather at Modderfontein Golf Club this week for the co-sanctioned Joburg Ladies Open, which boasts one of its strongest fields in history led by the top-ranked players on both tours.
South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, currently the No 1 on the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Investec Order of Merit, and England’s Cara Gainer, the No 1 on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, will lead a strong international field when this €300 000 tournament tees off on Thursday.
Every one of the top 10 players on the Investec Order of Merit is in the field this week, including six champions on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this year in Alexander, Danielle du Toit, Kiera Floyd, Nadia van der Westhuizen, Lucie Malchirand and Thalia Martin.
The Ladies European Tour challenge is equally strong and will feature seven of their current top 10 on the Order of Merit, including 2025 winners Gainer and Mimi Rhodes.
Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini is also back to defend her Joburg Ladies Open title.
It’s the perfect stage for Alexander to make the kind of statement her current form suggests she’s clearly capable of.
“I’ve played the Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein before, so I’m not trying to look too far ahead now. I don’t want to make it any bigger than it is. I’m just going to play it like it’s another golf tournament. That’s where my mindset is right now,” said Alexander, who has a win and four top-five finishes in the six Sunshine Ladies Tour events to date.
There’s no doubt that this week will play a big role in Alexander’s goal of winning the Investec Order of Merit this season.
Kiera Floyd, another champion in the field, is equally excited to test herself against the strength of the Ladies European Tour this week. She comes into the Joburg Ladies Open with a win and two top-10s in her last six tournaments on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
“I’m looking forward to Modderfontein. I’ve played that golf course throughout my childhood and I love it. I’m really looking forward to the co-sanctioned events and have been working physically and mentally to be ready for them,” she said.
And Kaiyuree Moodley has emerged as a bright young star on the tour this season. Moodley has had three top-10s – including a runner-up finish – this season and is leading the new R&A Rookie of the Year race coming into the Joburg Ladies Open.
This week’s tournament will also shine the light on various women’s community initiatives off the fairways, including the Birdies for Dignity programme which aims to distribute dignity packs to underprivileged students through support from this tournament.