Ashleigh Simon, who many forget is still just a 16-year-old amateur, is joint leader alongside Florence Luscher of Switzerland after the second round of the Nedbank Women’s SA Masters at Killarney Golf Club.
Simon, who won the Acer Women’s SA Open in 2004 and the Pam Golding Ladies International last season, had a solid front nine with two early birdies and then sank a 30-foot putt on the 7th for an eagle. She followed this up with a single birdie and two bogeys on the back nine to put her in the joint lead on 5-under par after today’s round of 69.
Florence Luscher, who hails from Bern in Switzerland, gave up a five-year stint as a snowboard instructor to concentrate on her golfing career. She had an incredible front nine, carding four birdies and an eagle on what is fast becoming the tournament’s most generous hole, the par-five 7th. On the back nine, her luck changed and she three-putted the par-four 13th and then missed a five-metre par putt on the 14th after finding the greenside bunker. Visiting South Africa – and the Women’s Nedbank Golf Tour – for the first time, Luscher shares the lead after a score of 68 today.
Kirsty Fisher of England was poised to take the outright lead, as she was 4-under par with only three to play. She went on to birdie the 7th (her 16th) but dropped on both of the last two holes to share a five-way tie for 2nd place with fellow Englishwoman and current leader on the Order of Merit Rebecca Hudson, two Frenchwomen Sophie Giquel and Anne-Sophie Le Nalio and South Africa’s Laurette Maritz.
Defending champion Maria Beautell of Spain had another poor round today and, disappointingly, missed the cut having finished on 7-over par for the tournament.
A delighted 19-year-old local amateur Lumien Lausberg had her second career hole-in-one on the par-three 4th hole, using a 22-degree rescue club.
The field has been cut to 60 players and ties. Entrance is free, and this is the final round of the only women’s professional golf tour in the country, so get down to Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg – play resumes at 07h00 tomorrow, with the leaders off at 08h50.
Nedbank Women’s SA Masters
Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg
Second Round Scores
Par 72
(*denotes amateur, SA unless otherwise noted)
139 – * Ashleigh Simon 70 69, Florence Luscher (Swi) 71 68
141 – Laurette Maritz 70 71, Anne-Sophie Le Nalio (Fra) 73 68, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 70 71, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 68 73, Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 72 69
142 – Lauren Hamilton Diggle (wal) 69 73, Mandy Adamson 72 70
143 – Lotta Wahlin (Swe) 73 70, Sofia Renell (Swe) 73 70, Clare Lipscombe (Eng) 70 73, Helena Alterby (Swe) 68 75
144 – Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 73 71, Sara Jelander (Swe) 70 74, Nuria Clau (Spa) 71 73, Patricia Beliard (Fra) 70 74
145 – Eliza Serramia (Spa) 73 72, Clare Queen (Sco) 70 75, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 71 74, Andrea Hirschhorn 74 71, Francis Botha 74 71, Nora Angehrn (Swi) 68 77
146 – Carina Vagner (Den) 73 73, * Kelli Shean 74 72, Lill Kristin Saether (Nor) 77 69, Lee-Anne Pace 71 75
147 – Hanna-Sophia Svenningsson (Swe) 74 73, Kareen Qually (can) 75 72, Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 74 73, Karen Margrethe Juul (Den) 71 76, Maria Boden (Swe) 74 73
148 – Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 74 74, Johanna Waldh (Swe) 71 77, Emelie Svenningsson (Swe) 76 72, Vanessa Smith 69 79, Morgana Robbertze 73 75, Beatriz Minchiotti Fabregas (Spa) 72 76, * Lumien Lausberg 76 72
149 – Natou Soro (Cdi) 74 75, Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) 73 76, Kelly Hutcherson (Eng) 71 78, Nina Hansson (Swe) 71 78, Frederique Dorbes (Fra) 74 75, * Stacey Bregman 75 74, Vanessa Bell (Eng) 76 73
150 – Shayne Wild (Zim) 76 74, Costanza Trussoni (ita) 75 75, Rikke Rasmussen (Den) 75 75, * Tsebo Betty Mokoena 75 75, Caryn Louw 73 77, Sandra Carlborg (Swe) 72 78
151 – * Gilly Tebbutt 73 78, Zuzana Kamasova (Svk) 75 76, Sofia Johansson (Swe) 73 78, Sophie Hunter (Eng) 73 78, Nathalie David-Mila (Fra) 78 73, Emma Brown (Eng) 77 74, Maria Beautell (Spa) 75 76
152 – Laura Wright (Eng) 75 77, * Suzette Venter 76 76, Salimah Mussani (can) 80 72, Elin Brask (Swe) 73 79, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 76 76
153 – Katharina Werdinig (Aut) 77 76, * Mia Swanepoel 79 74, Cheryl Smith (Eng) 75 78, Jayne MacKenzie 78 75, Madeleine Holmblad (Swe) 74 79, Lisa Fernandes (Usa) 74 79, Elizabeth Esterl (Ger) 77 76
154 – Annerie Wessels 73 81, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 76 78, * Monja Richards 74 80, Suzanne Dickens (Eng) 77 77, Antonella Cvitan (Swe) 75 79
155 – Josefine Skold (Swe) 80 75, Cherry Moulder 80 75, Nina Karlsson (Swe) 77 78, * Henriette Frylinck 79 76
156 – * Yushire Budhram 77 79
158 – Leandri Pieterse 82 76, * Julie Bruyns 81 77, Lise Botha 78 80
159 – * Tandi von Ruben 79 80, * Nicole Loesch 77 82
160 Fumi Doi (Jpn) 82 78
161 * Yuko Yamamoto (Jpn) 81 80, Kim Williams * 83 78, Sandra Eggermont (Ned) 82 79
162 – Michelle Smith (Eng) 79 83, Michelle de Vries 80 82
164 – Elsabe Hefer 82 82
167 – Jill Magnusson (Swe) 83 84, * Liezl Klotz 82 85
168 – * Delicia Sayer 84 84, * Lindsay Brown 84 84
169 – Crizelda van Niekerk 82 87, Esther Strous (Ned) 80 89
172 – * Margueriet Gouws * 86 86
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