Persistent Dlamini triumphs again

Nobuhle Dlamini’s challengers have to be wondering just what it will take to stop this tour de force after the world number three cruised to her eighth victory this season at the Nomads Gauteng Stroke Play Championship on Tuesday.

Although the reigning Sanlam SA Womens Stroke Play champion was disappointed after her goal to claim the elusive double was thwarted in the quarter-finals of the recent Sanlam SA Womens Match Play, Dlamini bounced back with a spirited challenge at Country Club Johannesburg to claim the Ladies Gauteng Golf event from Nelspruit golfer, Monja Richards.

Two successive rounds of 69 saw the Swazi golfer claim a five shot victory on six-under-par 138 while Richards, who matched her opening 69, lost her footing and slipped to sole second after closing with a two over 74.

Finishing the 2012 season as Womens Golf South Africa’s number one ranked player, the 21-year-old Dlamini cemented her position with a lengthy purple patch that began with a double at the Eastern Cape Championship in February.

In fact, with the exception of the Sanlam SA Womens Match Play, Dlamini has either won, finished second or posted a top five result in all her starts this season. In addition to winning the SA Stroke Play, Dlamini clinched a consecutive double at the KwaZulu-Natal Championship double, won the North West Stroke Play in March and the Gauteng 54-Hole Championship Match Play at Randpark Golf Club in May. She carried Swaziland to a second place finish in this year’s Regional All-Africa Trophy Challenge and partnered SA number two Kim Williams and rising star Magda Kruger to a successful Gauteng North title defence in the 72-Hole Teams Championship in May.

The University of Pretoria student says she is working hard on achieving a higher level of consistency before she tries out for a card on the 2014 Ladies European Tour later this year.

“It was great to bounce back with this victory to get myself back on track,” she said. “This season has not just been about winning, but consistently achieving top five results.

“I have been working hard on my short game, on shot conservation and on limiting mistakes, because that is the kind of game I will need if I hope to make my pro debut next year.”

Heather Kruger carded rounds of 82 and 86 to lift the B-Division title by eight shots from Chrissie Hammer, while Wendy Wende claimed a five stroke victory in the C-Division with rounds of 98-97.

TOP 10 RESULTS – A-DIVISION

138 Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 69-69

143 Monja Richards 69-74

146 Shawnelle de Lange 72-74

147 Magda Kruger 73-74; Lara Weinstein 74-73

148 Carrie Park 74-74; Lejan Lewthwaite 75-73

150 Chevonne Botha 75-75; Ivanna Samu 73-77

153 Kaleigh Telfer 78-75

TOP 10 RESULTS – B-DIVISION

168 Heather Kruger 82-86

176 Chrissie Hammer 87-89

177 Mercedes Kreissel 88-89

178 Fefi Tokarsky 84-94

179 Christelle Delport 90-89

180 Barbara Rupp 91-89

182 Marie Louise du Plessis 91-91; Michelle Gahan 87-95

185 Valda Ford 95-90; Adele Beytell 89-96; Kolanie van Baalen 98-87

TOP 10 RESULTS – C-DIVISION

195 Wendy Wende 98-97

200 Ginny Schoombie 101-99; Anta Uys 101-99

203 Dom Wood 99-104

204 Maureen Valsecchi 97-107

205 Mary McCarthy 104-101; Louise Ho 105-100

206 Anne Barrow 98-108

208 Judy Mallinson 102-106

209 Jann Blatch 106-103

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