TSHWANE, 23 May 2018 – Danielle du Toit tapped in for birdie on 18, took off her shoes and jumped into the pond at the closing hole with her Gauteng North team-mates to end the SA Women’s 72-Hole Team Championship with a victory splash at Waterkloof Golf Club on Wednesday.

Du Toit, Lenanda van der Walt and Larissa du Preez went wire-to-wire with rounds of 138, 147, 148 and 146 to lift the Swiss Team Trophy with a thundering seven-shot victory on three-over-par 579, ending a four year winning drought for the Daisies, who dominated the team event with four successive victories from 2010.

“We are absolutely ecstatic; just over the moon…and very wet,” gushed Du Toit.

“After the third round, we made a pact that we would jump in the pond like the ANA Inspiration winner jumps into Poppy’s Pond. It felt great to tap in that last putt for the win, but making that jump with Lenanda and Larissa was the best feeling ever. I hope Waterkloof names that pond after the Daisies.”

Gauteng North opened up a six shot lead in the first round and still led Ekurhuleni by seven shots after 54 holes.

Van der Watt went off first and erased a trio of bogeys with three birdies for an even-par 72 to keep her the team in the driver’s seat. “It was another tough day on the greens but I limited my mistakes and bounced back after every bogey,” she said. “The greens are so tricky and it’s easy to get sucker-punched by one bad shot. The moment you lose your focus, this course punishes you. The key to our success was patience and playing the course, not our opponents.”

Du Preez, who returned a non-counting 76, added that the team’s credo for the week was to fight until the last putt dropped.

“Take Danielle, who was two down to Caitlyn with four holes to play in the final round,” Du Preez said. “Caitlyn bogeyed 17 and Danielle made a great up-and-down to save par. She laid up on 18 and hit a brilliant wedge to an inch. Caitlyn missed her birdie putt and Danielle tapped in to tie her for the lead. It’s never over till it’s over and we fought for every shot.”

Reigning Sanlam SA Women’s Stroke Play champion Casandra Hall backed up Macnab with a one-under 71 for a final round 146 that sealed second for Ekurhuleni A.

Their B-team, however, had cause to celebrate when the side earned promotion for next year’s championship in the Challenge Trophy.

Ekurhuleni B held a two shot lead at the start of the final round over Boland B and Free State.

Thirteen-year-old Kiera Floyd made sure her team retained pole position when she birdied two of the last three holes for an even-par 72, and Teagan Lubbe carded 80 for total of 152 that took their 72-hole tally to 618.

Boland B finished four shots adrift and Free State took third on 625.

Ekurhuleni also featured prominently the Individual competition. Macnab shared the first prize with Du Toit, Du Preez finished in third and Kajal Mistry from Gauteng was fourth on 296, while Floyd and Hall shared fifth on 297.

 

SWISS TEAM TROPHY

579 Gauteng North A 138 Danielle du Toit 67 Larissa du Preez 71; 147 Larissa du Preez 73 Lenanda van der Watt 74; 148 Danielle du Toit 73 Larissa du Preez 75; 146 Lenanda van der Watt 72 Danielle du Toit 74

586 Ekurhuleni A 143 Caitlyn Macnab 70 Casandra Hall 73; 150 Caitlyn Macnab 75 Sarah Bouch 75; 147 Caitlyn Macnab 71 Sarah Bouch 76; 146 Casandra Hall 71 Caitlyn Macnab 75

591 Gauteng A 151 Zethu Myeki 75 Woo-Ju Son 76; 147 Woo-Ju Son 72 Zethu Myeki 75; 145 Kajal Mistry 69 Woo-Ju Son 76; 148 Zethu Myeki 74 Kajal Mistry 74

608 Gauteng B 150 Kaiyuree Moodley 75 Samantha Whateley 75; 153 Kaiyuree Moodley 76 Samantha Whateley 77; 154 Symone Henriques 76 Kaiyuree Moodley 78; 151 Symone Henriques 75 Kaiyuree Moodley 76

609 Western Province A 155 Kaylah Williams 76 Kelly Erasmus 79; 153 Kelly Erasmus 75 Kaylah Williams 78; 148 Kaylah Williams 71 Jordan Rothman 77; 153 Kaylah Williams 75 Kelly Erasmus 78

612 Southern Cape 155 Sandra Winter 77 Zane Naude 78; 151 Sandra Winter 75 Zane Naude 76; 152 Zane Naude 74 Sandra Winter 78; 154 Ethel Ruthenberg 76 Sandra Winter 78

613 Kwazulu Natal A 153 Brittney-Fay Berger 74 Michaela Fletcher 79; 156 Brittney-Fay Berger 77 Michaela Fletcher 79; 154 Michaela Fletcher 76 Brittney-Fay Berger 78; 150 Brittney-Fay Berger 73 Michaela Fletcher 77

616 Western Province B 159 Katia Shaff 79 Zayb Fredericks 80; 154 Zayb Fredericks 77 Katia Shaff 77; 154 Zayb Fredericks 75 Katia Shaff 79; 149 Katia Shaff 72 Zayb Fredericks 77

623 Gauteng C 157 Eleonora Galletti 77 Lynette Fourie 80; 154 Eleonora Galletti 75 Kera Healey 79; 154 Eleonora Galletti 75 Lynette Fourie 79; 158 Eleonora Galletti 77 Lynette Fourie 81

626 Boland A 166 Bianca Wernich 81 Nina Grey 85; 160 Bianca Wernich 76 Nina Grey 84; 152 Bianca Wernich 76 Nina Grey 76; 148 Bianca Wernich 72 Nina Grey 76

635 Gauteng North B 160 Catherine Lau 78 Holly Lau 82; 160 Catherine Lau 77 Adele Beytell 83; 164 Catherine Lau 80 Holly Lau 84; 151 Catherine Lau 71 Holly Lau 80

 

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
291 Caitlyn Macnab 70 75 71 75; Danielle du Toit 67 77 73 74 (joint winners)

295 Larissa du Preez 71 73 75 76

296 Kajal Mistry 76 77 69 74

297 Kiera Floyd 75 73 77 72; Casandra Hall 73 76 77 71

298 Woo-Ju Son 76 72 76 74

300 Kaylah Williams 76 78 71 75; Sarah Bouch 74 75 76 75

301 Lenanda van der Watt 79 74 76 72; Demi Flanagan 77 74 74 76

302 Zethu Myeki 75 75 78 74; Brittney-Fay Berger 74 77 78 73

304 Eleonora Galletti 77 75 75 77; Symone Henriques 76 77 76 75

305 Bianca Wernich 81 76 76 72; Kaiyuree Moodley 75 76 78 76

306 Catherine Lau 78 77 80 71

307 Katia Shaff 79 77 79 72; Zane Naude 78 76 74 79