Nobuhle Dlamini is teeing it up for the first time in over a year on the Ladies European Tour (LET) as she makes her first start since the 2023 Belgian Ladies Open.
The 32-year-old, who has been on Tour since 2015, gave birth to her first child – a baby boy – in the autumn of last year.
Dlamini has loved becoming a mother and always knew that she wanted to make a return to the fairways after having her child.
“It’s been amazing! I have had so much joy,” she said. “He is a bundle of joy. It’s been beautiful, I’ve had a lovely journey and I’m enjoying it so much.
“The recovery took a bit of time. I only really started playing golf again two and a half to three months ago, just hitting balls again and trying to find my golf swing.
“I’ve had a lot of work to do in between practice and golf and I’ve had to do a lot of gym. I put on a lot of weight when I was pregnant, I’m almost there.
“I did want a baby. I am 32, I wanted to have a baby and I was hoping that I still had the love for the game and the energy and also be strong enough to be able to leave him back at home while I’m travelling. I still have a lot of golf to play and I’m happy that I came back.”
The 2024 Tipsport Czech Ladies Open takes place at Royal Beroun Golf Club and provides a challenging course walk.
Having played a practice round, Dlamini believes her golf game hasn’t been too bad, but she is just missing the feel.
However, that is something that will come back with time and the Eswatini star believes she has made great progress.
She explained: “I need to work on my walking fitness – especially on this golf course! I had never played here before, so didn’t realise. I need to keep playing, the more I play the easier it will become and the more I will get used to it.
“The golf itself hasn’t been bad. I have recovered and gotten it back so quickly, the only thing is the course feel that I haven’t quite got. I think I can only get it back through competing.
“I will play this week and see where I am and how far I am and I just hope that physically I can hold it up, but it’s been amazing progress.”
Dlamini will begin her first round on Friday at 8.18 am (local time) alongside Sweden’s Linnea Johansson and England’s Hayley Davis.
Having a great support system at home has enabled Dlamini to return to Tour life and she has enjoyed seeing everybody here in Czechia.
She added: “It’s been so lovely seeing everybody here and catching up with them. I missed the group; I missed the girls! They are very happy to see me and I’m happy to have come back.
“I am so grateful that I have got people that can stay behind and take care of the baby. My husband has been amazing, my mother-in-law and also our nanny is also amazing.
“He cried a bit in the night when I wasn’t there because I have been breastfeeding. I only stopped when I left but he’s doing well now and also video calls help!”
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