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| Chloe Leurquin from Belgium is all smiles after surviving the world’s highest swing gorge |
Ladies European Tour golfers Chloe Leurquin and Patricia Sanz Barrio experienced the ultimate rush when they launched themselves off the edge of Oribi Gorge ahead of the Cell C South African Women’s Open.
Both of the Ladies European Tour rookie golfers did the world’s highest gorge swing to claim their bragging rights on the eve of this week’s international golf tournament at San Lameer Country Club on the Hibiscus Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, south of Durban.
Leurquin, 24, from Waterloo Golf Club in Waterloo, Belgium, was fearless as she jumped from the edge of a cliff into a free fall from 165 metres before swinging through the breath taking scenery in the bottom of the gorge. She was followed by Sanz, 24, from RACE Golf Club in Madrid, Spain, who bravely overcame her last-minute apprehension.
Years of sports psychology could not prepare the golfers for the ‘Wild 5 Adventure.’ Sanz said: “It was amazing. I cried a little bit, a little bit of excitement, but I would do it again. It was a great mental battle. In golf, you get nerves, but not real fear. You might miss a putt, but you’re not going to die or anything.”
Leurquin said: “I’m not very scared of heights and stuff, so I just did it, and the rope is just so heavy it’s pulling you down and when he says ‘1, 2, 3’, you just have to go. It was cool and I wish I could do it again! Doing this and golf… you just cannot compare it.”
After their adrenaline rush, the players enjoyed a sight-seeing visit and lunch at Leopard Rock, a stunning venue with an outside deck enjoying panoramic views over Oribi Gorge and just one and a half hours drive south of Durban.
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| Patricia and Chloe on the edge of the gorge |
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| Chloe hurls herself off the edge of Lehr’s waterfall |
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| Patricia makes it back to terra firma |
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| Patricia and Chloe pose on Leopard’s Rock overlooking Oribi Gorge |
Leurquin and Sanz are now both targeting their first wins on the Ladies European Tour in the €320,000, or R4.5 million, Cell C South African Women’s Open, which gets under way over four rounds of stroke play from Thursday to Sunday.
Leurquin, a graduate in Business and Mechanical Engineering, earned her first victory as a professional at the Mineks Ladies Classic in Turkey on the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) last year before finishing fourth on the order of merit to graduate to the main Ladies European Tour, where she has posted a best finish of tied 28th at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France this season.
Sanz, a graduate in Biomedical Science, won the Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open in Crete on LETAS last year and posted three second places, before finishing as the runner up on the order of merit. She also progressed to the Ladies European Tour this year, where she has recorded a season-best tie for 12th at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open presented by Respect.
Entry is free to the Cell C South African Women’s Open this week, with domestic television coverage on SABC and SuperSport.
