Tvesa Malik. File pic: LET
Johannesburg, March 24: Tvesa Malik landed an eagle on her second nine, the front side of the Par-73 Modderfontein Golf Club to salvage her first round at the Euros 250 000 Joburg Ladies Open. With a score of even par 73 in the tougher windy afternoon, she was the best Indian in the large six-member contingent from India.
Vani Kapoor, who seems to have taken a liking for South Africa after a series of decent results earlier in the season shot 3-over 76 and T-42, while Amandeep Drall (78) was T-68. Diksha Dagar, who won the South African Women’s Open in 2019, shot 79 and was T-79 and Siddhi Kapoor struggled to 84 and was way behind in T-123rd.
Tvesa, who missed the cut in her first start of the season in Saudi Ladies International last week, played in the afternoon when the wind was up. She started from the tenth and was one-over for the first nine, which was the back nine of the course. Another bogey on the third put her at 2-over before she eagled the Par-5 fifth. A bogey on 16th meant she ended at even par 73.
The 36-year-old Maria Hernandez gave herself the perfect birthday present with a two-shot lead in the opening round. The Spaniard made the most of an early start and the tranquil conditions to fire a four-under-par 69 that featured five birdies to set the early clubhouse lead that went unchallenged in the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned event.
Alexandra Swayne from the US Virgin Islands, Germany’s Luisa Dittrich, Smilla Soenderby from Denmark and Italy’s Virginia Carte tied for second on two-under. South Africans Nicole Garcia and Ivanna Samu finished a further stroke back in a tie for eighth.
Sweden’s Linn Grant – a two-time winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season and the current Investec Order of Merit Leader – and 2020 Investec South African Women’s Open champion Alice Hewston from England are also at one-under alongside Manon De Roey from Belgium, Finland’s Noora Komulainen and Frenchwoman Emma Grechi.
