Defending champion Casandra Alexander made her intentions clear during the first round of the Absa Ladies Invitational at Royal Johannesburg on Thursday as she shared the lead with Spain’s Carmen Alonso following a five-under-par 67.
Alexander continued with her impressive form on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season which has seen her add to her trophy cabinet by winning the Jabra Ladies Classic in February and claim the top spot on the Investec Order of Merit.
“I really enjoyed my round today. It felt great having so many familiar faces around me and playing at a course that I enjoy. The course is playing longer due to all the rain that we’ve had but I had a good day,” she said.
This week’s prize money received a welcome boost of R300 000 – now totalling R1.5 million – making it the second week in a row that prize money has been increased on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
“I believe the sponsors are seeing value in women’s golf as the last two tournaments had an increase in prize money. It’s also so exciting if the partnerships between the sponsors and the Sunshine Ladies Tour are extended as this shows us that they believe in what we are doing. We want the sponsors to come back year-after-year as I know we can give them the value they need,” said Alexander.
Alexander is also hopeful that the Sunshine Ladies Tour will grow its schedule to 10 events from the current eight, as she believes this will provide local and international golfers with the opportunity to play more golf consistently throughout the year, thereby becoming more competitive and further raising the status of the game.
“I hope that the Sunshine Ladies Tour will follow in the footsteps of the Sunshine Tour, and that South Africa will become a place where international players will base themselves as we have excellent courses and our weather is great for year-round golf,” she said.
With South African golfers having won four of the five tournaments played on this year’s series, Alexander confirmed that she has set her sights on winning this year’s Investec Order of Merit.
“I don’t think about it every day, and it is definitely not in the back of my mind when I play, but I would love to win the Investec Order of Merit. I’ve come close before and as a South African, it would mean a lot to me to add my name to the list of winners.”
SCORES
67 - Carmen Alonso (ESP), Casandra Alexander
68 - Jane Turner (SCO), Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ), Alexandra Swayne (ISV)
69 - Madelene Stavnar (NOR), Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN), Thalia Martin (ENG), Nadia van der Westhuizen
70 - Mayka Hoogeboom (NED), Laura Beveridge (SCO), Symone Henriques, Tereza Melecka (CZE), Olivia Mehaffey (NIR), Karoline Lund (NOR), Emma Falcher (FRA), Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA), Romy Meekers (NED), Demi Flanagan, Fernanda Lira (MEX)
71 - Bobbi Brown (a), Olivia Wood (a), Canice Screene (IRL), Corinne Viden (SWE), Pia Babnik (SVN), Maha Haddioui (MAR), Vidhatri Urs (IND), Celina Sattelkau (GER), Verena Gimmy (GER), Kaiyuree Moodley
72 - Rhea Purvi (IND), Charlotte Millard (a), Anais Meyssonnier (FRA), Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP), Tvesa Malik (IND), Nayanika Sanga (IND), Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL), Cara Gorlei, Carolin Kauffmann (GER), Gabrielle Venter, Harang Lee (ESP), Hayley Davis (ENG), Danielle du Toit, Kajal Mistry
73 - Tiia Koivisto (FIN), Marianne Skarpnord (NOR), Rosie Belsham (ENG), Hannah Arnold (USA), Bonita Bredenhann (NAM), Hanna Tauber (GER), Tandi McCallum, Gabriella Cowley (ENG), Lora Assad, Kiera Floyd, Isabella van Rooyen
74 - Esme Hamilton (ENG), Louisa Carlbom (SWE), Katherine Hollern (USA), Sofie Bringner (SWE), Claire Minter (ZIM), Michelle Forsland (NOR), Nikki Hofstede (NED), Helen Kreuzer (GER), Emie Peronnin (FRA), Nina Pegova (WHT)
75 - Jess Baker (BRI), Selena Costabile (CAN), Bronwyn Doeg, Lindi Coetzee, Hannah Karg (GER), Clara Pietri (SUI), Florentyna Parker (ENG), Emma Grechi (FRA), Pasqualle Coffa (NED)
76 - Kelsey Nicholas, Yolanda Duma, Lenanda van der Watt, Stacy Bregman
77 - Lourenda Steyn (a), Lauren Taylor (ENG), Jessica Bailey (ENG), Ana Dawson (IMN), Linn Wiberg (SWE), Chantal Dueringer (AUT), Ivanna Samu
78 - Brittney-Fay Berger, Cara Ford, Shawnelle de Lange, Vanessa Knecht (SUI)
79 - Chante van Zyl, Paris Hilinski (USA), Ananya Garg (IND), Judith van der Voort (NED), Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR), Teresa Diez Moliner (ESP)
80 - Kim de Klerk, Leontine Petit (FRA)
81 - Michelle Leigh
82 - Karishma Govind (IND)
83 - Carey Dodds
87 - Julie Bruyns-Leach
© Sunshine Ladies Tour