The South African Women’s Open sees three Irish golfers among the field, as Aine Donegan, Anna Foster and Olivia Mehaffey look to get their season off to a good start with a strong showing at Royal Cape Golf Club.
Donegan, the 24-year-old Ennis native, posted a strong Thursday round, going three-under-par to see herself in a tie for 20th after 18 holes.
Donegan made a birdie and a bogey on the front nine, but found some confidence after a birdie on the par-5 11th.
Donegan then went on to make a brilliant eagle at the next par-5, the 14th to get back to the clubhouse with a 70.
Donegan made light work of the longer holes, going 4-under on all the par-5s.
Anna Foster sits just one back from Donegan, as the 24-year-old made five birdies. Foster will be disappointed with some of the mistakes, most notably a double bogey at the par-4 ninth, followed by a bogey at the tenth but the Elm Park representative will take some confidence knowing birdies can be made.
Olivia Mehaffey didn’t let an early bogey get in the way of her posting an under-par round, but she must feel that there was a good chance for the 27-year-old to go lower than the one-under-par she posted.
The Down native made four birdies on the back nine, but a bogey at the par-3 13th followed by a double bogey at the par-3 15th will be sore ones to take. Mehaffey sits in T51 on one-under-par after the first round.
Its Germany’s Patricia Isabel Schmidt who takes the first round lead as the 30-year-old posted a bogey free 10-under-par.
Making three birdies on the front nine, Schmidt came flying out of the blocks on the back nine, making five birdies and an eagle to soar into the lead, posting a career low round.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know I’d shot 10-under until I got a high five on the last hole!” the 30-year-old said. “I wouldn’t say it was the greatest round off the tee box, but my whole approach game and my recovery game was just really good.”
Schmidt has one victory to her name which came at the 2023 Belgian Ladies Open.
“What has helped me this year is my consistency,” Schmidt said. “Even though I’ve not hit every fairway, the misses I have are way smaller. So if I need to make a recovery I’ve managed to save par, which I’ve done way better now compared to last year.”
Schmidt is closely followed by Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby and Slovakia’s Pia Babnik who both sit at eight-under.
“Today I was pretty close to my best,” Soenderby said, winner of the 2023 KPMG Women’s Irish Open. “There were a few ‘oops’ moments here and there, but I would say I was in a really good mental space. I’ve started meditating again, that usually helps my golf game. I’m getting there.”
The second round of the Investec SA Women’s Open gets underway tomorrow at 6:20am Irish time.
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