Michaela Fletcher cards 69 at the SA Girls Championshups to lead the field
KZN’s Michaela Fletcher leads the field by five strokes after the first round of the 54-hole Nomads SA Girls Stroke Play Championship at Orkney Golf Club in the North West Province this week.
The sixteen-year old from Maritzburg Golf Club carded a three-under 69 in a great first round in cold but not the usual icy conditions experienced in previous events at Orkney at this time of the year. Her birdies at the first, seventh and eighth saw her turn at three under 33. After a drop at 10, she birdied 15 to finish level par on the back nine and sign for a 69.
Lying five strokes back on 74 is Korean Se Young Chun of Milnerton Golf Club and another Korean, Carrie Park from Irene Country Club carded 75 and both these players will be challenging Michaela when they tee off in the same three-ball in the second round tomorrow.
Top-ranked junior Lara Weinstein returned a disappointing 81, but for sure she will be pulling out all the stops in the last two rounds. She was the under 16 champion in 2009 and 2010. The 2011 champion Bianca Theron carded 79 and she too will be putting in a challenge in the final two rounds.
The 10 -18 Handicap Division is headed by Kim de Klerk from Pollak Park and Stellenbosch’s Cassidy Williams, both on 84. Two shots back on 86 are Brittney-Fay Berger from KZN and Minette Olivier of Uitenhage.
The 19 to 30 handicap division tees of tomorrow at 7.15am for the first round of their 36 hole stableford championship.
This prestigious Nomads SA Girls’ Championship is being hosted by Orkney Golf Club and for the sixth year. The 135 players and their chaperones are accommodated and transported to Orkney at no cost to the players, enabling talented players from both advantaged and disadvantaged communities throughout South Africa and Namibia to compete on an equal basis.
The players are accommodated in chalets across the road from the Orkney Golf Club and the camaraderie at this event is the most special on the WGSA calendar. The youngest player this year is 10-year old Caitlin MacNab, playing of a 13 handicap from State Mines Golf Club in WGSA’s newest province Ekurhuleni.
Results