Galletti back to winning ways

Royal Johannesburg and Kensington’s Eleonora Galletti celebrated a welcome return to the winner’s circle when she claimed a one stroke victory in the Boland Junior Championship in early January.

Two years ago, the 17-year-old Central Gauteng junior earned a bronze medal in the Girls Competition and assisted the South African team to gold in the Team Competition in the 2014 Youth Games at Gaborone Golf Club in Botswana.

In the same season, she lifted the Gauteng 54-Hole Championship title and won the Stroke Play Seeding Qualifier for the Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur Championship at Ruimsig Country Club.

Her performances earned her a seat in the South African team that competed in the prestigious Astor Trophy in Australia in January 2015, but she struggled to find form throughout the season.

Galletti was pivotal to Central Gauteng’s victory in the 72-Hole Team Championship in May where she also shared the Individual Honours with team-mate Ivanna Samu. Five months later, she was a key contributor to Central Gauteng’s victory march in the 2015 SA Women’s Inter-Provincial at Centurion Country Club, but an individual victory still eluded her.

“I was playing really great golf in the team events, but just didn’t perform in the individual events,” said Galletti. “I was becoming really frustrated with my game, but the runner-up finish in the Mpumalanga Championship late last year gave me a serious boost in confidence.

“It really motivated me to work hard at getting back in the winner’s circle.”

Galletti arrived at Langebaan Golf & Sports Club with her A-Game and not even the strong winds that terrorized the field could put her off her game.

“It is a really great feeling to return to the winner’s circle,” said Galletti, who posted rounds of 75, 77 and 80 to edge out fellow Central Gauteng golfer Kaiyuree Moodley for a one stroke victory on 16-over-par 232.

“The conditions were very testing, but I stayed patient and just kept grinding. I am incredibly pleased to be back on the winner’s list and hopefully this is just the first of many this season.”

FINAL RESULT (Top 10)
232 Eleonora Galletti 75 77 80
233 Kaiyuree Moodley 75 81 77
236 Symone Henriques 73 84 79
237 Kaleigh Telfer 72 82 83
239 Brittney-Fay Berger 76 79 84
240 Jamie-Lee Daniels 76 81 83
243 Woo-Ju Son 76 86 81
243 Crystal Beukes 72 92 79
244 Minette Olivier 79 81 84
246 Kiera Floyd 76 79 91

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