Cape town, 13 Mar: Indian golfer Tvesa Malik got off to a fine start but was unable to build on it to as she finished the first round at 1-under 73 to be tied fourth at the Standard Bank Ladies Open here. Tvesa, the winner of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge last month, raced to 4-under after her first nine holes but then dropped three shots on her second nine to share the fourth spot with five other golfers.
Starting from the 10th tee and playing alongside Helen Kreuzer and Gabrielle Venter, Tvesa birdied 11th, 13th, 16th and 17th. However, she dropped a double bogey on the Par-4 sixth and then parred seven holes before she had a bogey on the ninth.
Scotland’s Kylie Henry (69), winner of the opening event of the Tour this season, led the field at 5-under. Local star Shawnelle de Lange (71) is second and another South African Lora Assad (72) was third.
Kylie had four birdies and an eagle on Par-5 11th against one bogey, while De Lange had four birdies and one bogey.
The other five players tied with Tvesa in the fourth place. The group includes two Frenchwomen Emie Peronnin and Ariane Kloz, South African Kiera Floyd, Denmark’s Maiken Bing Paulsen and England’s Florentyna Parker, who all shot 1-under 73 each.
The field this week includes all three winners of the Sunshine Ladies Tour this year — Kylie Henry, Tvesa and Helen.
They have been joined by Kiera Floyd, Gabrielle Venter, Nicole Garcia, Cara Gorlei, Tandi McCallum, Nadia van der Westhuizen and Stacy Bregman.
The 54-hole tournament carried a purse of South African Rand 6,00,000 and is the fourth event of the schedule for this year. (PTI)