South Africa’s Morgana Robbertze battled through a rainy first round of the Acer Women’s South African Open, to claim a one-stroke lead at Durban Country Club on Thursday.
Robbertze signed for a five under par 68 – with the course playing to a par of 73 for this event – to finish the round one stroke ahead of Spain’s Women’s World Cup of Golf campaigner Tania Elosegui and amateur Ashleigh Simon.
Defending champion Rebecca Hudson opened with a two under 71 while South Africa’s Stacy Bregman signed for a one under par 72.
Denmark’s Julie Tvede, who has finished second in the past two tournaments, struggled to a round of one over 74, along with Lee-Anne Pace.
Robbertze, who was amongst the challengers for last week’s WPGA Masters but went on to finish eighth, relied heavily on her putter to carry her to the top of the leaderboard.
Her front nine in particular yielded five birdies that set the tone for her round. “It was a blur. It went by so quickly. I’ve been hitting the ball quite nicely for the past few weeks, but just haven’t made any putts.
“Today seemed a lot better. I putted better, and I was a lot more solid on the greens,” she said. Robbertze opened with a 27-foot putt for birdie at the second.
She then birdied the third from three feet, chipped out from the bunker to a foot for birdie on the fifth, holed a 15-footer for birdie on the sixth, and then a 20-footer for birdie on the ninth.
Her putter went a bit cold on the back nine though. “I was still hitting them close, and I had a couple of lip-outs, so that narrowed the gap a little bit.
“But I was very happy that I didn’t drop any shots. That’s usually the thing – I make lots of birdies and then I make too many drops. So I was impressed.
“I’m going to stick with my game plan, stay controlled out there and not do any silly things. Then I should be fine.”
Acer Women’s SA Open
Durban Country Club, Round 1 Scores (Par 73)
68 Morgana Robbertze
69 Ashleigh Simon*, Tania Elosegui (Spa)
70 Antonella Cvitan (Swe)
71 Hanna-Sophia Svenningsson (Swe), Rebecca Hudson (Eng)
72 Kelli Shean*, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den), Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor), Michelle de Vries, Stacy Bregman, Maria Boden (Swe), Mandy Adamson
73 Tandi von Ruben*, Bertine Strauss*, Frederique Seeholzer (Swi), Margherita Rigon (Ita), Clare Queen (Sco), Laurette Maritz, Lisa Jean (Aus)
74 Johanna Westerberg (Swe), Sophie Walker (Eng), Julie Tvede (Den), Lee-Anne Pace, Elin Ohlsson (Swe), Ana Larraneta (Spa), Santie Koch, Karen Margrethe Juul (Den), Sarah Heath (Eng)
75 Lena Tornevall (Swe), Josefin Svenningsson (Swe), Monique Smit*, Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin), Lill Kristin Saether (Nor), Monja Richards, Florence Luscher (Swi), Felicity Johnson (Eng), Madeleine Holmblad (Swe), Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den), Angie Green (Can), Kirsty Fisher (Eng), Jo Clingan (Eng), Elin Brask (Swe), Nora Angehrn (Swi)
76 Emma Zackrisson (Swe), Vicki Traut*, Gina Switala*, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Eleanor Pilgrim (Wal), Taynee Pearson*, Edita Nechanicka (Cze), Jehanne Jail (Fra), Claire Coughlan (Ire), Anna Becker (Swe)
77 Suzette Venter, Michelle Smith (Eng), Leandri Pieterse, Shelley Mckevitt (Eng), Mette Buus (Den)
78 Ellen Smets (Bel), Caryn Louw, Sohvi Harkonen (Fin), Martina Gillen (Ire), Sandra Eggermont (Ned), Frederique Dorbes (Fra), Nuria Clau (Spa), Vanessa Bell (Eng)
79 Viva Schlasberg (Swe), Maria Ohlsson (Swe), Tirsa Matthysen*, Lumien Lausberg, Nina Hansson (Swe), Sarah Faller* (Ire), Julie Berton (Fra)
80 Sandra Winter*, Natou Soro (Cdi), Cheryl Smith (Eng), Cuyler Hedley (Can), Hermine Greyling*, Fumi Doi (Jpn)
81 Iliska Verwey*, Emelie Svenningsson (Swe), Anne-Sophie Le Nalio (Fra), Zuzana Kamasova (Svk), Lise Botha, Carmen Alonso (Spa)
82 Ashleigh Holmes*, Helen Batt* (Eng)
83 Elsabe Hefer
84 Tiffany Avern-Taplin*
85 Crizelda van Niekerk, Maria Jimenez de Miguel (Spa), Alexandra Hinteregger*, Pam Hayward*
92 Lisa Mackenzie
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