Magical Manon wins Investec SA Women’s Open

Belgium’s Manon De Roey put the finishing touch to another remarkable Sunshine Ladies Tour season when she claimed a four-stroke victory in the Investec South African Women’s Open at the Erinvale Country and Golf Estate on Sunday.

De Roey went into the final round with a three-stroke lead and built on this as she eventually signed for a closing 72 to win on 14 under par overall.

“I’m super happy with my performance this week. I had a couple of goals at the beginning of this year and one of them was to win again,” said De Roey, who claimed her first victory on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and her second on the Ladies European Tour.

England’s Gabriella Cowley, who shared second place on 10 under par alongside New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori, was crowned as the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s overall Investec Order of Merit champion and received R200 000 courtesy of Investec.

And Nicole Garcia finished as the leading South African in fourth place on eight under par. This also secured her second place on the Investec Order of Merit and, as the leading South African here, she won herself a Renault for the year.

On Sunday, De Roey relished the challenge of another windy day in the winelands and was never under any pressure from the rest of the field as she cruised to victory.

“I like playing in windy conditions because I feel like I can shape the ball well. I can just let the wind do the work and I feel a bit more relaxed,” she said.

South Africa’s Garcia was equally delighted with her finish after putting in a strong performance on the weekend which included her third round of 64 and then Sunday’s 71 to secure her a top-five finish in this event as well as the title of leading South African on the Investec Order of Merit.

“It was a bit of a surprise to find that out when I walked off the 18th green. I hadn’t really realised that it was a possibility. I’m going to enjoy my Renault for the year. But I’m happy with my performance overall, and this is a great added bonus,” she said.

It was also a lucrative final round for France’s Emma Grechi. Grechi scored an albatross on the par-five 16th and won R500 000 courtesy of Renault.

The Investec South African Women’s Open was the grand finale on this season’s eight-tournament Sunshine Ladies Tour. – Michael Vlismas.

SCORES:

274 – Manon De Roey (BEL) 69 67 66 72
278 – Gabriella Cowley (ENG) 69 72 67 70, Momoka Kobori (NZL) 69 70 68 71
280 – Nicole Garcia 76 69 64 71
281 – Ines Laklalech (MAR) 70 70 65 76
282 – Sarah Schober (AUT) 70 76 65 71, Hannah Burke (ENG) 68 72 70 72
283 – Lisa Pettersson (SWE) 68 71 67 77
284 – Jana Melichova (CZE) 69 74 68 73, Kim Metraux (SUI) 70 71 68 75
285 – Bronte Law (ENG) 68 76 70 71, Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER) 71 71 70 73, Elena Moosmann (SUI) 66 75 70 74, Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE) 71 75 65 74, Rosie Davies (ENG) 66 71 71 77
286 – Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 73 72 71 70, Chiara Tamburlini (SUI) 70 75 72 69, Annabell Fuller (ENG) 68 71 76 71, Dorthea Forbrigd (NOR) 72 73 70 71, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 69 71 69 77
287 – Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 71 73 71 72, Casandra Alexander 73 75 66 73, Emma Spitz (AUT) 73 75 66 73
288 – Virginia Elena Carta (ITA) 70 74 72 72, Diksha Dagar (IND) 73 70 74 71, Katja Pogacar (SVN) 71 72 71 74, Liz Young (ENG) 68 73 72 75, Sara Kjellker (SWE) 70 73 70 75
289 – Lydia Hall (WAL) 71 76 70 72, Lora Assad 73 73 70 73, Emily Penttila (FIN) 72 72 73 72, Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 70 71 77 71, Sofie Bringner (SWE) 74 72 73 70
290 – Sanna Nuutinen (FIN) 71 75 70 74, Moa Folke (SWE) 75 72 71 72, April Angurasaranee (THA) 72 71 71 76, Romy Meekers (NED) 70 74 74 72, Celine Herbin (FRA) 70 76 73 71, Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 76 71 74 69
291 – Amy Taylor (ENG) 73 75 70 73, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 69 79 71 72, Emma Grechi (FRA) 74 74 71 72, Julie Boysen Hillestad (NOR) 67 73 71 80
292 – Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 71 71 74 76, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 79 68 74 71
293 – Stacy Bregman 72 71 73 77, Nastasia Nadaud (FRA) 68 76 71 78, Mireia Prat (ESP) 70 75 73 75, Lily May Humphreys (ENG) 73 69 76 75, Hannah Screen (ENG) 71 73 70 79, Laura Fuenfstueck (GER) 76 70 73 74, Genevieve Ling (MAS) 73 75 75 70
294 – Alice Hewson (ENG) 74 74 70 76, Gemma Clews (ENG) 74 68 77 75
295 – Danielle du Toit 74 70 74 77, Christine Wolf (AUT) 69 74 76 76, Aunchisa Utama (THA) 70 74 79 72
296 – Tiffany Arafi (SUI) 73 73 74 76
297 – Tara Griebenow 75 72 76 74
299 – Fernanda Lira (MEX) 75 70 75 79, Shannon Tan (SIN) 69 78 78 74
300 – Tereza Melecka (CZE) 77 71 73 79, Lee-Anne Pace 68 79 77 76, Georgina Blackman (ENG) 76 72 77 75
303 – Kylie Henry (SCO) 71 77 76 79
Missed the cut:-
149 – Laura Beveridge (SCO) 71 78, Elin Arvidsson (SWE) 70 79, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 72 77, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 76 73, Luna Sobron Galmes (ESP) 72 77, Nadia van der Westhuizen 76 73
150 – Maha Haddioui (MAR) 71 79, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 75 75, Linnea Johansson (SWE) 76 74, Tandi McCallum 75 75, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 77 73, Verena Gimmy (GER) 72 78, Agathe Sauzon (FRA) 69 81, Vani Kapoor (IND) 75 75
151 – Ridhima Dilawari (IND) 74 77, Sara Kouskova (CZE) 74 77, Sophie Witt (GER) 75 76, Camille Chevalier (FRA) 75 76, Isabella van Rooyen 76 75, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 77 74, Lejan Lewthwaite 75 76, Elena Hualde (ESP) 73 78, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 78 73, Paz Marfa Sans (ESP) 78 73, Pasqualle Coffa (NED) 76 75, Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) 74 77
152 – Zethu Myeki 79 73, Tvesa Malik (IND) 76 76, Corinne Viden (SWE) 75 77, Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) 76 76, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 75 77
153 – Cara Gorlei 75 78, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 73 80, Leonie Harm (GER) 75 78, Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG) 78 75, Ana Dawson (IMN) 78 75
154 – Lauren Walsh (IRL) 78 76, Marta Martin (ESP) 79 75
155 – Laura Sluman (PAN) 77 78, Ivanna Samu 73 82, Thalia Martin (ENG) 76 79, Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) 81 74, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 74 81
156 – Dorota Zalewska (POL) 81 75
157 – Gabrielle Venter 78 79, Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 72 85, Michelle Forsland (NOR) 78 79
158 – Kelsey Nicholas 77 81, Teresa Diez Moliner (ESP) 78 80, Lisa Coetzer (a) 77 81, Kyra van Kan (a) 79 79
159 – Katherine Muzi (USA) 80 79
161 – Helen Kreuzer (GER) 77 84
187 – Ellandri van Heerden (a) 95 92
RTD – Kiera Floyd 79 RTD