Moodley leads SA's chase for Rookie honours at Platinum Ladies Open

Kaiyuree Moodley is leading the South African charge for The R&A Rookie of the Year award on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this year as she heads into this week’s Platinum Ladies Open in second place on the standings after an impressive start to her professional career.

Moodley is making only her fourth professional start on the Sunshine Ladies Tour in this week’s 54-hole Platinum Ladies Open at the Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate from Wednesday to Friday, with prize money totalling R1 000 000.

The 23-year old golfer blazed through the last two events on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, finishing second in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge in early March and tying for third place in the Jabra Ladies Classic at the end of February. She led the first round of the Jabra Ladies Classic while posting her lowest professional score of six-under-par 66.

“It was only my third event as a professional so it felt really good to shoot my lowest professional score. Everything in my game was fantastic,” she said.

With the remaining half of this year’s eight tournaments on the Sunshine Ladies Tour to be played over the next four weeks, various international players are also in contention for The R&A Rookie of the Year award.France’s Lucie Malchirand, the winner of the Standard Bank Ladies Open, is currently first on The R&A Rookie of the Year standings with Scotland’s Lorna McClymont rounding out the top three.

McClymont finished second in the Jabra Ladies Classic in only her third tournament since joining the professional ranks earlier this year, and after following her brother into the game.

“I got into golf when I was younger and my brother played. He was getting lessons at the time. So my mom and dad thought, let’s get Lorna lessons as well and that is kind of my story. My grandparents played as well so it has just been in the family,” said the 24-year-old.

A strong field has assembled for this week’s event including Nadia van der Westhuizen, winner of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge; Casandra Alexander, who won the Jabra Ladies Classic; and Danielle du Toit, who claimed her maiden victory at the NTT DATA Ladies Pro-Am.

IOL