VEREENIGING, 3 June 2019 – Larissa du Preez and Gina da Silva made a perfect start in Gauteng North A’s title defence to lead the first round of the SA Women’s 72 Hole Teams Championship on Monday.

The pair combined for an opening total of one-under 143 at Maccauvlei Golf Club to open up a two shot lead over Ekurhuleni A.

“I am extremely proud of the way the two players managed themselves. Larissa struggled on the front nine, but she just kept grinding and made some birdies on the back nine for a 71. Gina had at least five putts that either lipped out or burned the edges, but she never showed any frustration and posted a very solid 72.

“Our third team member Karin Watts had a battling day. Karin posted a non-counting 84, but we give her 10 out of 10 for keeping the team spirits up and keeping us positive. We got the start we wanted, so onwards and upwards from here.”

Du Preez, a member of the victorious team that won the Swiss Team Trophy in wire-to-wire style at Waterkloof Golf Club last year, was delighted to save her round with some good putting on the back nine.

“I struggled to get going and I missed a lot of fairways on the front nine,” said the Silver Lakes golfer.

“When I did hit fairways, I made birdies or pars, so I kept the round going, but my ball-striking really improved down the back nine.

“I birdied 14 and 17 to get to one-under. At 14, I hit a great approach to a metre and I hit my second shot into 17 to two feet. I only had 28 putts for the round, but it could have been better if more putts had dropped.

“The course is in stunning condition and I can’t say enough good things about these greens. I’m really pleased that I could recover and come back with a bang. Hopefully I can find a few more fairways and get my irons on point for a couple of low rounds on Tuesday.”

Caitlyn Macnab matched Du Preez with a 71 and fellow GolfRSA Women’s Elite Squad member Kiera Floyd carded 74 to seal second place for Ekurhuleni A on 145.

The country’s leading amateur Kaylah Williams posted an opening 73 and former SA Women’s Amateur champion Jordan Rothman added 78 to put Western Province A in the mix in joint third on 151 with Gauteng B.

Meanwhile Danielle Bekker (76) and Nicola Schoeman (83) from Mpumalanga A set the leading pace in the Challenge Trophy with an opening score of 158.

Round of 80 from Kim Straus and Marlie Smit moved KwaZulu-Natal B into second on 160, while Nina Smit (79) and Isabella van Rooyen (85) combined for 164 to seal third for Western Province C.

Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation member Du Preez and Macnab are tied at the top in the Individual Competition, with Da Silva in second, Williams fourth and Floyd fifth. Reigning SA Women’s Amateur Stroke Play and Match Play champion Kajal Mistry opened with a 75 to share sixth with fellow Gauteng golfer Stephanie Barbaglia.

ROUND 1 SCORES (Format: Best 2 scores of 3 to count)

Swiss Team Trophy

(Format: Best 2 scores of 3 to count)

143 Gauteng North A Larissa du Preez 71 Gina Da Silva 72

145 Ekurhuleni A Caitlyn Macnab 71 Kiera Floyd 74

151 Western Province A Kaylah Williams 73 Jordan Rothman 78

151 Gauteng B Stephanie Barbaglia 75 Eleonora Galletti 76

153 Gauteng A Kajal Mistry 75 Zethu Myeki 78

154 KwaZulu-Natal A Michaela Fletcher 76 Liezl Smit 78

156 Gauteng C Marine Legentil 77 Kera Healey 79

157 Boland A Megan Streicher 76 Bianca Wernich 81

157 Western Province B Annalie Swanepoel 78 Vicki Traut 79

161 Southern Cape Zane Naude 79 Sandra Winter 82

164 Ekurhuleni B Kaylan Boshof 79 Kyra van Kan 85

Challenge Trophy

158 Mpumalanga B Danielle Bekker 76 Nicola Schoeman 82

160 KwaZulu-Natal B Kim Strauss 80 Marlie Smit 80

164 Western Province C Nina Grey 79 Isabella van Rooyen 85

165 Mpumalanga A Petrone Rudolph 82 Chante Boonstra 83

167 Limpopo Lynn-Mariè Combrink 80 Desiree Earle 87

168 Gauteng North B Heidi van der Berg 81 Charlene Oosthuizen 87

168 North West Crystal Cooper 84 Elru Botha 84

173 Eastern Province Chante van Zyl 78 Zahn Scholtz 95

173 Free State Ellandri van Heerden 85 Pheletso Mota 88

176 Border Demi Flanagan 81 Elaine Walker 95

179 Northern Cape Lindy-Lee Kotze 87 Elmien van Niekerk 92

Individual Leaderboard – Round 1

71 Larissa du Preez; Caitlyn Macnab

72 Gina Da Silva

73 Kaylah Williams

74 Kiera Floyd

75 Kajal Mistry; Stephanie Barbaglia

76 Eleonora Galletti; Michaela Fletcher; Danielle Bekker; Megan Streicher; Nadia van der Westhuizen

77 Marine Legentil

78 Zethu Myeki; Liezl Smit; Jordan Rothman; Chante van Zyl; Annalie Swanepoel

79 Nina Grey; Kera Healey; Zane Naude; Kaylan Boshof; Samantha Whateley; Vicki Traut

80 Kim Strauss; Kim Turgut; Lynn-Mariè Combrink; Kelly Erasmus; Marlie Smit

81 Symone Henriques; Lizzie Currie; Bianca Wernich; Heidi van der Berg; Jessica Shurety; Demi Flanagan; Katia Shaff

82 Sandra Winter; Nicola Schoeman; Petrone Rudolph

83 Chante Boonstra

84 Crystal Cooper; Elru Botha; Karin Watts

85 Kyra van Kan; Ellandri van Heerden; Isabella van Rooyen; Emily Jones

86 Kim de Klerk

87 Ineke Brynard; Teagan Lubbe; Lindy-Lee Kotze; Charlene Oosthuizen; Desiree Earle; Zelane Wessels; Bronwyn Leigh Doeg

88 Pheletso Mota

91 Bobbi Brown; Patrizia Lombard

92 Elmien van Niekerk

95 Zahn Scholtz; Elaine Walker

98 Bea van Aswegen

99 Sanet Pieterse

100 Micke Crouwkamp

104 Mariana Payne; Thaakirah Bickoo