- Esme Hamilton earns maiden LET win with two-shot victory in Cape Town
- Englishwoman fires final round 71 (-2) to beat Cara Gainer and Pia Babnik to the title
Esme Hamilton is a Ladies European Tour (LET) winner after the Englishwoman claimed the Investec SA Women’s Open following an epic battle with compatriot Cara Gainer.
On a wet and windy final day at Royal Cape Golf Club, Hamilton carded a round of 71 (-2) to secure a two-shot victory on 15-under par. The win is Hamilton’s first on the LET in just her 23rd start after joining the circuit as a rookie last year.
“It’s unreal!” the 26-year-old said. “I’m buzzing, really happy. I’m a bit lost for words. It’s something that I’ve dreamt about for a while. I’m going to make sure that I enjoy this because it’s a big one! I just played my own game out there and wanted to finish under par. I holed some good putts – steady golf was key.
“I couldn’t have done it without my mum, dad and brother. They support me every single day. I can’t wait to give them all a hug. The win will hopefully build my confidence and unlock a lot for me.”
Tied with Slovenia’s Pia Babnik heading into the final round, and one clear of Gainer, Hamilton would bogey the 3rd before racing into a two-shot lead with birdies at the 5th and 6th as Babnik dropped a shot at the 1st.
Drama quickly unfolded at the challenging 9th as Gainer produced a clutch birdie with Hamilton carding a double-bogey. This produced a three-shot swing locking the compatriots on 12-under par at the turn.
“It was probably my only poor drive of the day,” Hamilton said. “It’s such a tight golf course here that you can hit good drives but it can still end up slightly off. That one was not my best. But I put it behind me and moved on. I knew I had gone a couple up on the front nine and could do it again.”
But on the back nine Hamilton showed nerves of steel as the rain began to pour in Cape Town – birdies at the 11th, 14th and 16th reclaiming her two-shot advantage with two holes to play.
Four more solid swings followed as Hamilton tapped in for par at the 18th before being greeted by a mass of fellow players congratulating her on the green.
“That means a lot, it really does,” Hamilton said after being dosed in champagne by close friends Sofie Kibsgaard and Smilla Soenderby. “I’ve got some friends that I’ve grown up playing golf with here [on tour]. To see how happy they were for me to win, and to then have all the new people that I’ve met throughout the last year and a half on the LET come up and say well done, it means a lot. I want to say a big thank you to everyone.
“I started to feel a wee bit sick going down 18. I started to feel a little sick going down 16 too because I knew stuff could still happen. I just wanted to hit the green and two putt which I did. I don’t know what I was thinking and I still don’t now!”
In second finished Gainer on 13-under par after she carded a final round 72 (-1). Babnik was one shot further back on 12-under par as the 22-year-old returned to her best this week.
American duo Anna Morgan and Brianna Navarrosa finished the week in a tie for fourth on nine-under par alongside Austria’s Emma Spitz. Morocco’s Maha Haddioui, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali and Canada’s Anna Huang were seventh on seven-under par.
On the LET Order of Merit, France’s Agathe Laisne still leads the way on 1,321.70 points after she won her second title of the season in Joburg last week. South African’s Casandra Alexander is second on 1,107.65 points with Hamilton now fourth on 596.14 points. Australian Kelsey Bennett sits third on 704.75 points.
Next up for the stars of the LET is an exciting trip to Mauritius for the MCB Ladies Classic. You can keep up to date with all the action from the tournament on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook
