Maiden win for Martin in Absa Ladies Invitational

With her mom as her caddie, England’s Thalia Martin did her utmost to maintain her composure during a nerve-wrecking final round and was able to bag her maiden victory in the Absa Ladies Invitational at Royal Johannesburg on Saturday.

Martin closed with a one-under-par 71 to claim an emotional victory on 11 under par, paying tribute to her mother and holding back the tears at the thought of her father whom she lost after a long health battle in 2023.

Norway’s Madelene Stavnar double-bogeyed the 18th hole to finish tied second with Anne-Charlotte Mora from France and Scotland’s Laura Beveridge on nine under par.

This week’s Absa Ladies Invitational produced a number of firsts for Martin who scored her lowest professional round of seven-under-par 65 during the second round after which she led a tournament for the first time in her professional career going into Saturday’s final round.

Martin had a comfortable four-stroke lead over the rest of the field over the closing holes but then bogeyed both the 17th and 18th holes as she battled her nerves.

“I tried to keep everything the same as I have done for the last two days, but I have to admit, nerves did come into play going into hole 16. But I just tried to stick to my gameplan. Sometimes it didn’t work but I am just glad that I kept calm throughout,” she said.

Celebrating her first victory since turning professional in 2021, Martin said that she had high hopes for the future.

“It’s a new experience but hopefully there will be more to come. The first win is always a special one and having my mom on the bag with me makes it even more special. And also having my friends with me on tour to share the moment, is good.”

This victory guarantees Martin a place in next week’s Joburg Ladies Open, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. The 72-hole tournament tees off on 3 April at Modderfontein Golf Club with total prize money of close to R6 million.

SCORES

205 - Thalia Martin (ENG) 69 65 71

207 - Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 70 74 63, Laura Beveridge (SCO) 70 68 69, Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 69 68 70

208 - Casandra Alexander 67 71 70

209 - Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 68 71 70, Tereza Melecka (CZE) 70 69 70

210 - Kiera Floyd 73 71 66, Vidhatri Urs (IND) 71 70 69, Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 69 71 70, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 72 66 72

211 - Kaiyuree Moodley 71 72 68, Fernanda Lira (MEX) 70 72 69, Romy Meekers (NED) 70 72 69

212 - Kelsey Nicholas 76 67 69, Gabrielle Venter 72 70 70, Mayka Hoogeboom (NED) 70 71 71, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 67 72 73

213 - Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) 72 71 70, Esme Hamilton (ENG) 74 69 70, Karoline Lund (NOR) 70 73 70, Maha Haddioui (MAR) 71 73 69, Hanna Tauber (GER) 73 69 71

214 - Verena Gimmy (GER) 71 74 69, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 70 72 72, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 73 73 68

215 - Harang Lee (ESP) 72 71 72, Celina Sattelkau (GER) 71 71 73, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 68 76 71, Kajal Mistry 72 70 73, Pia Babnik (SVN) 71 69 75, Anais Meyssonnier (FRA) 72 74 69

216 - Symone Henriques 70 73 73, Cara Gorlei 72 72 72, Emma Grechi (FRA) 75 71 70, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 74 72 70, Sofie Bringner (SWE) 74 72 70

218 - Jane Turner (SCO) 68 77 73, Ana Dawson (IMN) 77 69 72

219 - Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL) 72 72 75, Hayley Davis (ENG) 72 74 73, Corinne Viden (SWE) 71 75 73, Nayanika Sanga (IND) 72 74 73

222 - Nadia van der Westhuizen 69 77 76

223 - Charlotte Millard (a) 72 74 77, Rosie Belsham (ENG) 73 73 77

225 - Hannah Karg (GER) 75 69 81, Isabella van Rooyen 73 72 80

227 - Rhea Purvi (IND) 72 73 82

RTD - Nina Pegova (WHT) 74 71 RTD

MISSED THE CUT:-

147 - Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 73 74, Emma Falcher (FRA) 70 77, Demi Flanagan 70 77, Canice Screene (IRL) 71 76, Katherine Hollern (USA) 74 73

148 - Tandi McCallum 73 75, Helen Kreuzer (GER) 74 74, Danielle du Toit 72 76, Pasqualle Coffa (NED) 75 73, Lourenda Steyn (a) 77 71, Bobbi Brown (a) 71 77, Louisa Carlbom (SWE) 74 74, Tvesa Malik (IND) 72 76, Claire Minter (ZIM) 74 74

149 - Hannah Arnold (USA) 73 76, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 75 74, Nikki Hofstede (NED) 74 75, Lora Assad 73 76, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 73 76

150 - Gabriella Cowley (ENG) 73 77, Jess Baker (BRI) 75 75

151 - Michelle Forsland (NOR) 74 77, Olivia Wood (a) 71 80, Selena Costabile (CAN) 75 76, Lenanda van der Watt 76 75, Lindi Coetzee 75 76

152 - Stacy Bregman 76 76, Chante van Zyl 79 73, Bronwyn Doeg 75 77

153 - Chantal Dueringer (AUT) 77 76, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 77 76, Shawnelle de Lange 78 75

154 - Linn Wiberg (SWE) 77 77

155 - Teresa Diez Moliner (ESP) 79 76, Jessica Bailey (ENG) 77 78

156 - Clara Pietri (SUI) 75 81, Vanessa Knecht (SUI) 78 78

157 - Ivanna Samu 77 80, Yolanda Duma 76 81

158 - Judith van der Voort (NED) 79 79

160 - Karishma Govind (IND) 82 78, Ananya Garg (IND) 79 81, Cara Ford 78 82

162 - Leontine Petit (FRA) 80 82