Lee-Anne Pace wins SA Women’s Open

Pace closed with a strong back nine including an eagle and birdies at two of her final three holes to finish with a 67 and tied for the lead with Clyburn on five under par.

Then she birdied the par-four 18th, the second hole of a sudden-death playoff, to claim her ninth victory on the Ladies European Tour, but by far her most special.

“I am so proud to be South African today,” said an emotional Pace.

“I’m so happy that I could’ve won in front of such wonderful supporters.” Pace went into the final round four strokes off the lead, and by the turn still had some work to do.

“We came up short on some of the holes and then thought, ‘Well, let’s just go for it’. So I started playing more aggressively,” she said.

Her run began with an eagle on the par-five 13th when she hit a five wood to 20 feet and made the putt.

“I don’t think a lot of people went for that green, and it turned out great.”

On the short 16th, Pace hit a seven iron to 12 feet for birdie. Then she lipped out for a birdie on 17, but closed with a birdie on 18 to force the playoff.

Both golfers parred the 18th the first time around. And then as Clyburn hit a poor approach, Pace put hers three feet from the hole for a birdie to take the title.

“I was just trying to have fun in the playoff. I thought to myself, ‘You’ve won two playoffs in your career already’. So I was feeling quite confident out there.”

The Jackie Mercer Trophy for the leading amateur was shared by South Africa’s Shawnelle de Lange and France’s Mathilda Cappeliez on a total of 10 over par.

– Sapa