Bregman Chasing Victory Again

Stacy Bregman is once again chasing a maiden victory on the Ladies African Tour, after claiming a two-stroke clubhouse lead in the suspended first round of the R320 000 Telkom Women’s Classic at Benoni Lakes Golf Club on Wednesday.

Bregman opened with a round of seven under par 65, which included seven birdies and not a single dropped shot, and made it into the clubhouse before lightning forced the suspension of the round.

A total of three groups of players still have to complete their first rounds and will do so early on Thursday morning before the start of the second round.

Ashleigh Simon, fresh from becoming the first and youngest golfer at the age of 17 to win two Acer Women’s SA Open titles, and Spain’s Women’s World Cup of Golf team member Tania Elosegui are Bregman’s nearest challengers following rounds of five under par 67.

Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, England’s Sarah Heath and South African Laurette Maritz are grouped at four under, while Lee-Anne Pace opened with a round of one over 73.

Bregman has been in contention several times on the Tour this year, but has been unable to maintain her challenge.

In her past three tournaments on the Tour, Bregman has twice been the leader after the first round but dropped off the pace thereafter.

After opening with three straight pars on Wednesday, the rookie professional birdied holes four, five, eight and nine to set the tone for her round.

She opened her back nine with a birdie at the 10th and added birdies at the 12th and 14th. “I hit the ball solid. The greens are good, but the fairways are a little hard and very dry,” she said.

Simon began her quest for back-to-back wins on the Tour with a bogey at the par-five first following a three putt.

On the third hole she dropped a shot, fell short and again had to up and down to save par on the fourth. The young star struggled to find her rhythm on the front nine but then made a crucial change to her game.

“On the first nine I seemed to be pulling everything and I tried to get it right. I opened my stance a bit and it seemed to work.  But I’m glad I came back.

“You’re never going to be disappointed with five under for the first round,” she said.

Telkom Women’s Classic Round 1 Scores
Benoni Lakes Country Club (Par 72)
 
65 Stacy Bregman
67 Tania Elosegui (Spa); Ashleigh Simon*
68 Sarah Heath (Eng); Laurette Maritz; Marianne Skarpnord (Nor)
69 Rebecca Hudson (Eng); Felicity Johnson; Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor)
70 Nora Angehrn (Swi); Morgana Robbertze; Emma Zackrisson (Swe)
71 Mandy Adamson; Elin Brask (Swe); Jo Clingan (Eng); Nina Hansson (Swe); Clare Queen (Sco); Kelli Shean*; Julie Tvede (Den); Sophie Walker (Eng)
72 Carmen Alonso (Spa); Mette Buus (Den); Antonella Cvitan (Swe); Angie Green (Can); Sohvi Harkonen (Fin); Jehanne Jail  (Fra); Leandri Pieterse ; Eleanor Pilgrim (Wal); Frederique Seeholzer (Swi); Tandi von Ruben*; Johanna Westerberg (Swe)
73 Frederique Dorbes (Fra); Andrea Hirschhorn; Ana Larraneta (Spa); Lee-Anne Pace; Mercia Pretorius*; Lena Tornevall (Swe)
74 Anna Becker (Swe); Julie Berton (Fra); Maria Boden (Swe); Martina Gillen (Ire); Odette Grotepas*; Fabienne Haremza (Ger); Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den); Margherita Rigon (Ita); Lill Kristin Saether (Nor); Suzette Venter;
75 Helen Batt*(Eng); Connie Chen*; Kirsty Fisher (Eng); Chloe Garner, Chloe*; Lisa Jean (Aus); Karen Margrethe Juul (Den);  Michelle Smith (Eng); Zelda Smook*
76 Florence Luscher, Florence (Swi); Ellen Smets (Bel); Natou Soro (Cdi)
77 Nora Kagonyera (Uga); Zuzana Kamasova (Svk); Emelie Svenningsson (Swe); Josefin Svenningsson (Swe); Kim Williams*
78 Vanessa Bell (Eng); Claire Coughlan (Ire); Michelle de Vries ; Madeleine Holmblad (Swe); Monja Richards
79 Shelley Mckevitt (Eng)
80 Nuria Clau (Spa); Lumien Lausberg; Edita Nechanicka (Cze); Larissa Ras*; Cheryl Smith (Eng)
81 Santie Koch; Crizelda van Niekerk
82 Tiffany Avern-Taplin*; Fumi Doi (Jpn); Jessica Wycherley* (Sco)
84 Christelle Delport*; Cuyler Hedley (Can); Ti Matthysen*; Viva Schlasberg (Swe)
 
Incomplete round:
Anne-Sophie le Nalio (Fra); Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin); Hanna-Sophia Svenningsson (Swe); Nicole Becker*; Henriette Frylinck*; Kim Brookes*; Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den); Caryn Louw