French golfer Lucie Malchirand continued her dominance of the Standard Bank Ladies Open hosted by The City of Cape Town at Durbanville Golf Club by producing another stellar round with a score of 68 to tighten her grip on the lead, and on her 22nd birthday.
Malchirand followed up her opening 64 with another impressive round of golf on Friday to lead on 12-under par for the tournament.
“Today was another great day. I had really good shots. My chipping was also good so I’m really proud of what I did today,” she said.
With four birdies, an eagle on the par-five fifth hole and just two bogeys, Malchirand extended her lead to five shots going into Saturday’s final round.
“For the eagle I hit my four iron to within one metre from the hole and made the putt. My driving and my putting is the reason why I am playing so well, so I want to continue like that in the final round. It’s my birthday today so tonight I’m going to go out with my dad to eat something with chocolate that will hopefully help me play well in the final round.”
Nobuhle Dlamini, who had a top five finish at last week’s NTT DATA Pro-Am and has won an exceptional eight titles on the Sunshine Ladies Tour since 2018, is her closest rival on seven under par after a second round of 70.
South Africa’s Casandra Alexander is on six under par following a second round of 68.
Alexander has won five Sunshine Ladies Tour titles, with her most recent victory at the Absa Ladies Invitational in April last year.
SCORES
132 - Lucie Malchirand (FRA) 64 68
137 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 67 70
138 - Casandra Alexander 70 68
139 - Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL) 68 71, Tereza Melecka (CZE) 71 68, Romy Meekers (NED) 72 67
141 - Helen Kreuzer (GER) 73 68, Emily Penttila (FIN) 73 68, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 71 70, Lee-Anne Pace 71 70
142 - Hayley Davis (ENG) 72 70, Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 74 68
143 - Lorna McClymont (SCO) 69 74, Kaiyuree Moodley 70 73, Harang Lee (ESP) 71 72
144 - Emie Peronnin (FRA) 72 72, Cara Gorlei 75 69, Tina Mazarino (NOR) 73 71, Andrea Lignell (SWE) 73 71, Andrea Bergsdottir (ICE) 75 69, Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 74 70
145 - Kiera Floyd 72 73, Chloe Salort (FRA) 71 74, Nadia van der Westhuizen 72 73, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 74 71, Michaela Fletcher 70 75
146 - Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 73 73, Louisa Carlbom (SWE) 74 72, Karoline Lund (NOR) 71 75, Stacy Bregman 72 74, Verena Gimmy (GER) 71 75, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 75 71, Lenanda van der Watt 75 71, Cara Ford 68 78
147 - Isabella van Rooyen 74 73, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 71 76, Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 71 76, Danielle du Toit 71 76, Symone Henriques 74 73, Natasha Fear (ESP) 73 74, Celina Sattelkau (GER) 76 71
Missed the cut:
148 - Ana Dawson (IMN) 75 73, Nina Pegova (WHT) 73 75, Hanna Tauber (GER) 72 76, Marta Perez Sanmartin (ESP) 72 76, Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) 72 76, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 76 72
149 - Gabrielle Venter 73 76, Kylie Henry (SCO) 72 77, Demi Flanagan 74 75, Bronwyn Doeg 74 75, Emma Grechi (FRA) 77 72
150 - Judith van der Voort (NED) 77 73, Brittney-Fay Berger 76 74, Louise Duncan (SCO) 76 74, Tandi McCallum 75 75, Kelsey Nicholas 75 75, Claire Minter (ZIM) 78 72
151 - Zethu Myeki 76 75, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 78 73, Ivanna Samu 77 74, Emma Falcher (FRA) 74 77
152 - Tara Griebenow 79 73, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 74 78, Ellie Vorster (CAN) 76 76, Jessica Bailey (ENG) 76 76, Anais Meyssonnier (FRA) 75 77, Laura Beveridge (SCO) 77 75
153 - Yolanda Duma 77 76, Corinne Viden (SWE) 78 75, Shannon O'Dwyer (ENG) 75 78, Sara Kjellker (SWE) 74 79
154 - Linn Wiberg (SWE) 78 76, Shawnelle de Lange 79 75, Jane Turner (SCO) 80 74, Lora Assad 78 76, Kajal Mistry 77 77, Selena Costabile (CAN) 76 78, Isabella Deilert (SWE) 74 80
155 - Chante van Zyl 80 75, Larissa Du Preez 81 74, Vicki Traut (a) 80 75, Rosie Belsham (ENG) 74 81, Thalia Martin (ENG) 78 77
156 - Vanessa Knecht (SUI) 82 74, Kim de Klerk 81 75
157 - Lindi Coetzee 82 75, Pasqualle Coffa (NED) 78 79, Jahaanvie Walia (ZAM) 77 80, Paris Hilinski (USA) 79 78
158 - Abigail O'Riordan (IRL) 77 81
159 - Chantal Dueringer (AUT) 79 80, Leontine Petit (FRA) 80 79, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 76 83
160 - Hannah Arnold (USA) 82 78, Clara Pietri (SUI) 79 81, Lize-Mari Prinsloo 78 82, Eloise Healey (ENG) 82 78, Isabella Holpfer (AUT) 84 76
162 - Carey Dodds 83 79, Francesca Cuturi 81 81
164 - Michelle Forsland (NOR) 79 85, Chante de Lange 84 80, Kayla van der Merwe (a) 85 79
168 - Lee-Ann van der Merwe (a) 87 81
WDN - Nikki Hofstede (NED) 81 WDN