Tandi does it again – 3 times winner in 2022 and Order of Merit winner 2022
South African female professional Tandi McCallum makes her win a memorable display of great golf after what was not her best start on day 1.
Not making the top 10 after day 1 and what was unpleasant weather conditions on the tee box goes to show what experience and determination can produce.
Shooting even par, Isabella van Rooyen was leading after a challenging day 1 with a tight top ten on the leaderboard with Durban’s local pro, Brittney-Fay Berger lying tied second with Kelsey Nicholas all at +2.
The course greens were fast and pin positions carefully placed to make this remarkable course a challenge for the even well experienced players testing their driving skills, with cleverly placed bunkers and water hazards adding to the challenge. After day1 it was Larissa du Preez then positioned tied 6th with Kaylen Boshoff, Kim de Klerk and previous winner Nadia van der Westhuizen chasing the leaders. After a remarkable second shot from McCallum that left her putting for eagle deciding to go big and not lay up as du Preez did.
NO EASY VICTORY
The leaderboard fluctuated hole by hole and as quoted by Tandi, at hole 16 she stopped looking at the live scoring. Hers was no easy victory because van Rooyen and Nicholas were chasing hard and not giving room to breathe in the final round. She was just hoping and happy if she was going to end up in the top 8.
It has been a city of two tales here
Said McCallum after her win, ”because yesterday’s golf course was a bit more scorable and I did not capitalize on it and I chalked up lots of bogeys and no birdies, and at the end of the day i ended up outside of the top 10.
Today I just had to try and shoot the best round I could, knowing that the course was going to be more difficult, overnight rain, more rain forecasted and I just had to try and shoot as close as I could to level par because the course is challenging. And I did that shooting one over par. The leaderboard kept rotating on the back nine on the 16th hole. I decided I was not going to look anymore.
A Great Way to Start the Season
I was going to try to finish as strong as I could and get into the clubhouse and see. As I saw the girls were just dropping scores. Getting into the playoff was very unexpected. I am ecstatic that I won the opening event. It’s a great way to start the season.
I look forward to the rest. Next month is the Royal Cape Golf Course and I love it. Can’t wait to play it.”
The tournament carried a purse of R600 000, The next tournament in the series will be held at Royal Cape in the Western Cape from 13 – 15th June, as the series establishes a national footprint. The Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the North West are the other three provinces that will be visited this season in what is a clear ambition to grow the series.
Founded by Lifestyle Golf in partnership with the Women’s Professional Golf Association of South Africa, the series promotes women’s golf in the country while developing talent for a future in the game of golf.
