Consistent Kang lifts Nomads SA Girls title

Ji Sun Kang produced one of the classiest performances of her young career to claim a magnificent wire-to-wire victory in the Nomads SA Girls Championship at Orkney Golf Club on Tuesday.

The Korean-born Western Province golfer held a five shot lead at the beginning of the final round after an opening 69 and a second round 74, and she signalled her intentions to the chasing pack when she got her final round underway with an eagle three at the par-five first hole.

The 17-year-old collected 12 pars and four bogeys notwithstanding, closed with a two-over-par 74 to finish on a winning total of one-over-par 217 and a superb four shot victory over her closest challenger, team mate Cara Gorlei.

Gorlei, who came home with a final round 73, edged out last year’s runner-up Carrie Park, for second, while the Gauteng North golfer took third on six over 222 with a 74.

Park finished to shots ahead of Eleonora Galletti (74), while the 2011 and 2012 Sanlam Cancer Challenge champions, Shawnelle de Lange and Michaela Fletcher, finished fifth and sixth respectively. De Lange carded a final round 73 to finish on 11-over-par 227, while defending champion Fletcher closed with a 75 for a total of 229.

Kang was recently selected by Womens Golf South Africa to compete in the World Junior Golf Series – Harder German Junior Masters alongside Gorlei and KwaZulu-Natal’s Michaela Fletcher this August.

The Korean was simply delighted with her success.

“I played so well this week,” Kang said. “I felt like I hit a lot of good shots to the right spots and I made a lot of good decisions. This victory is really satisfying because the conditions were tough out there in the second and final rounds.”

In the B-Division for handicaps 10-18, overnight leader Symone Henriques also held for victory.

The 12-year-old Gauteng player carded rounds of 87-80-82 a winning score of 33-over-par 249 and a seven stroke victory over her 11-year-old challenger, Caitlyn McNab from Ekurhuleni.

There was more celebrations for the 3-strong Western Province team after Naeemah Adams won the C-Division for 19-23 handicaps. Adams added a 42 to her opening 32 in the 36-hole Stableford competition to win by four from Southern Cape’s Inge Vorster (32-36).

In the D-Division for handicaps 24-30, Amore Steyn from Boland carded rounds of 48 and 34 to defeat Southern Cape’s Michelle Muller (31-35) by seven points.