Gorlei sounds warning on eve of Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur
Western Province golfer Cara Gorlei is playing in her last South African tournament in this week’s Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur at Kloof Country Club before heading to college in America. And she’s hoping a victory in Sunday’s 36-hole seeding round sets her up for a memorable send-off later this week.
Gorlei, who has been in great form this season, won the stroke play seeding round with a 36-hole total of level par following her rounds of 72 and 70 on the par-71 Kloof Country Club layout.
It earned her a two-stroke victory over Kloof’s Brittney-Fay Berger, who led the morning with a round of 68 but then faded with an afternoon score of 76.
The stroke play serves as a seeding tournament for the main match play championship from Monday to Wednesday.
And 19-year-old Gorlei is expecting the Kloof course to be the perfect match play venue.
“It’s a risk and reward golf course so can go for it depending on what your opponent’s doing. I think it will make for some tough matches out there.”
Gorlei is heading to Arkansas University on a full golf scholarship in August, and is hoping to leave these fairways with a title in her last South African tournament before beginning college life.
“I really want to finish strong so I’m looking forward to this week. I’ve been playing well lately and done well in previous match play tournaments.”
South African number one and defending champion Ivanna Samu finished at five over par with rounds of 72 and 75.
“It’s a tough course. You’ve got to hit it in the right places with your drives and your approaches into the greens, otherwise you can easily make double bogeys out there. But I’ve had enough practice rounds now and I just want to go out there and give it my best in the match play,” she said.
Gauteng North’s Carrie Park, coming off a triumph in the recent Gauteng North Championship, bounced back from an opening 78 with an afternoon score of 69 to also finish on five over par.
“You’ve got to set yourself up with your drives here, and you have to concentrate on every single shot. I’m feeling good about my game. It’s just a question of me settling down in these conditions,” she said.
The top 12 players in the stroke play all have byes into the second round of the match play.
STROKE PLAY RESULTS – top 10
142 Cara Gorlei 72 70
144 Brittney-Fay Berger 68 76
146 Natasha Carlsson 74 72
147 Carrie Park 78 69; Danielle Du Toit 74 73; Ivanna Samu 72 75
148 Michaela Fletcher 77 71
149 Mae Cornforth 78 71
151 Eleonora Galletti 74 77
152 Izel Pieters 74 78
Written and released by Michael Vlismas on behalf of Sanlam