Williams leads favourites into third round of SA Match Play
Michael Vlismas reports
BENONI (9 July 2012) – South African number one Kim Williams has led all of the favourites into the third round of the Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Benoni Country Club.
Williams won her first two matches 7/6 and 3/1 on a day when reigning stroke play champion Nobuhle Dlamini also won comfortably, as did Bertine Strauss.
And 16-year-old Magda Krüger continues to surprise. After beating the top names in the country and winning Sunday’s 36-hole qualifier, Kruger has also made it through to the third round.
Williams was certainly a different player to the one who struggled in the 36-hole qualifier. On Monday, she opened with a crushing 7/6 victory over talented junior Chiara Contomathios, an then in the afternoon added a 3/1 victory over Helena Buitendag.
“I’m really happy to go through, and I’m looking forward to meeting some of the better players in the later rounds,” said Williams.
“I played much better today than in the qualifier. I was much more consistent off the tee. My irons have been good, so I just tried to put myself in the middle of the fairway and take it from there,” said Williams.
“I was a bit concerned about playing Chiara because it was my first match against her. She’s a rising junior and I know nothing about her game. But I played good golf to win. Then against Helena, we both didn’t really play outstanding golf. I think each one was waiting for the other to make a mistake.”
Dlamini, ranked number two in the country and hunting a double after winning the stroke play title earlier this year, took advantage of a first round bye to sort out her game after some frustrations in the qualifier. Then in the afternoon she beat Josephine Liang 4/3 to go through.
And Strauss also enjoyed a bye before beating Natasha Carlsson 3/2 to make it into the third round.
Perhaps the only upset was top junior Lara Weinstein, a winner on the Glacier Junior Series this year, being knocked out in the second round. Weinstein was beaten 2/1 by Samantha Barber.
Bonita Bredenhann, Cara Gorlei, Michaela Fletcher and Bianca Theron are also through to the third round.
Scores from Round 1 and 2 of the Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship played at Benoni Country Club on Monday:
ROUND 1
Magda Krüger bye
Mae Cornforth defeated Oname Mhotsha 1up
Monja Richards defeated Kim de Klerk 2/1
Lauren Sobotker defeated Lora Assad 2/1
Eugenie Clack bye
Woo-Ju Son defeated Marike Reyneke 2/1
Lejan Lewthwaite bye
Olivia le Roux defeated Carrie Park 4/3
Michaela Fletcher bye
Kelly Erasmus defeated Catherine Lau 6/5
Lara Weinstein defeated Jade Gray 6/4
Sammy Barber defeated Zayb Kippie 3/2
Nicole Loesch bye
Chevonne Botha defeated Marguerite Pienaar 1up
Helena Buitendag bye
Kim Williams defeated Chiara Contomathios 7/6
Bonita Bredenhann bye
Shawnelle de Lange defeated Nicole Fourie 2up
Alana van Greuning defeated Sheryl Matthews 3/2
Crystal Cooper defeated Ellené van Zyl 3/1
Nobuhle Dlamini bye
Josephine Liang defeated Jacqui Akers 3/2
Cara Gorlei bye
Ruzanne van der Walt defeated Amanda Ogden 6/4
Bertine Strauss bye
Natasha Carlsson defeated Jamie-Lee Daniels 5/4
Bianca Theron defeated Nicole Bader 7/6
Yushira Budhram defeated Sonja Olivier 5/4
Talia Nel bye
Elzanne Kent defeated Liezl Bezuidenhout 2up
Kim Daniels bye
Marné Clack defeated Jannelise Bessenger 6/5
ROUND 2
Magda Krüger defeated Mae Cornforth 3/2
Monja Richards defeated Lauren Sobotker 5/4
Eugenie Clack defeated Woo-Ju Son 1up
Lejan Lethwaite defeated Olivia le Roux at the 19th
Michaela Fletcher defeated Kelly Erasmus 1up
Sammy Barber defeated Lara Weinstein 2/1
Nicole Loesch defeated Chevonne Botha 1up
Kim Williams defeated Helena Buitendag 3/1
Bonita Bredenhann defeated Shawnelle de Lange 7/5
Crystal Cooper defeated Alana van Greuning 2up
Nobuhle Dlamini defeated Josephine Liang 4/3
Cara Gorlei defeated Ruzanne van der Walt 2up
Bertine Strauss defeated Natasha Carlsson 3/2
Bianca Theron defeated Yushira Budhram 6/5
Talia Nel defeated Elzanne Kent 5/3
Kim Daniels defeated Marné Clack 3/2