La malagueña Ana Peláez, segunda en el Investec South African Open LET 2023

**Fuente:  elperiodigolf.-

 La sudafricana Ashleigh Buhai firmó una última ronda de 68 golpes y (-4) para ganar el Investec South African Women's Open 2023 en el Steenberg Golf Club.

La jugadora sudafricana había partido con una ventaja de cuatro golpes sobre la malagueña Ana Peláez, que había terminado ayer con -14. Buhai logró seis birdies y dos bogeys en esta cuarta jornada para sellar su quinto título del LET terminando con -22 sumando su cuarta victoria en este torneo.

"Estoy flotando", dijo. “Estoy muy feliz de haber logrado terminar el trabajo. Mi objetivo era venir aquí y ganar esta semana. Traté de minimizarlo porque es mucha presión y sabía que iba a ser difícil".

“Siempre es importante para mí intentar jugar el Investec SA Women's Open. Desafortunadamente no pude hacerlo los últimos años por el COVID. Ahora necesito seguir así y mantenerme firme. Mantener esta consistencia es mi objetivo principal, ser más consistente y darme la oportunidad de ganar un torneo de golf de vez en cuando”, aseguraba la sudafricana.

Pero la buena noticia para el golf español la puso Ana Peláez que por segunda semana consecutiva terminaba segunda después de producir una ronda de 68 golpes (-4) y llegar a casa club con -18. “Me sentí muy bien esta semana y la semana pasada también. Nos estamos enfocando en hacer nuestro trabajo, comer bien, ir al gimnasio, descansar, jugar al golf y estar mentalmente estables. Nos estamos asegurando de que cada área esté cubierta y luego salgamos y nos divirtamos", dijo.

“Por suerte estoy jugando bien al golf y podemos disfrutar aún más. Voy a jugar la próxima semana de nuevo y espero tener algo más de suerte y volver a luchar por la victoria. Me gustan los segundos puestos, ¡pero prefiero tener el trofeo conmigo!”.

La alemana Chiara Noja terminó el torneo tercera en solitario con 17 bajo par después de una cuarta ronda de 69 golpes (-3) que incluyó cuatro birdies y un bogey. La argentina Magdalena Simmermacher terminó en cuarto lugar con 15 bajo par con la sudafricana Kaleigh Telfer quinta con -11, mientras que Klara Davidson Spilkova se qudó sexta a un golpe.

En la Race to Costa del Sol, la india Aditi Ashok continúa liderando la tabla con 1.210 puntos. Ana Peláez sube al segundo lugar en la clasificación con 754 puntos mientras que Buhai es tercera con 545,19 puntos. La inglesa Lily May Humphreys ocupa el cuarto lugar con la sueca Maja Stark en el quinto lugar, la inglesa Alice Hewson en el sexto lugar y la belga Manon De Roey en el séptimo. La alemana Noja sube al octavo lugar con 391,25 puntos, la sueca Linn Grant es novena y la suiza Albane Valenzuela completa el top 10.

VEA LA CLASIFICACIÓN

STARK SOARS TO THE TOP AFTER DAY TWO OF LALLA MERYEM CUP 2023

                                        

 Maja Stark produced a second round 67 (-6) to hold a two shot lead heading into the weekend at the Lalla Meryem Cup. 

The Swedish star followed up her first round 71 (-2) with a superb showing at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam to sit at the top of the leaderboard on -8 after 36 holes, with India’s Aditi Ashok her nearest challenger on -6. 

Five-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner Stark did not drop a shot during the second day and rolled in six birdies on the blue course – picking up shots on holes two and seven, as well as 11, 15, 16 and 18 after the turn.

And despite her strong showing, the 2022 Race to Costa Del Sol runner-up believes she could have gone even lower in round two. 

“It was a slow start to the day,” said Stark. “I felt like I could have made a couple more putts in the first nine holes and my irons were a little bit off. I had a bit of a strong grip at first then I overcompensated and had weak grips. 

“I think I found it at the end and made a few longer putts. Overall a very steady and stress free day, now It feels so obvious that I had five or six shots out there that I could have easily avoided.”

Stark is chasing her first win for the year following on from three LET wins and her first win on the LPGA Tour at the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational last year. 

Sitting with a two-shot lead heading into the final day, the 23-year-old is looking forward to the challenge of keeping the lead intact. 

“I’m excited for tomorrow,” Stark continued. “I always like a chase but I feel maybe I will have a different goal tomorrow, maybe I will do a Tiger Woods and copy what he did at Pebble Beach when he said no bogeys.

“It’s the last day, so they are going to have to catch me I guess.”

India’s Ashok sits in second place on six-under-par after carding a second round score of 71 (-2) in Morocco. 

The 24-year-old, who won the first LET event of the season – the Magical Kenya Ladies Open at Vipingo Ridge last week – made four birdies and two bogeys on day two at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and will look to put the pressure on Stark tomorrow to aim for two wins in a row.

“I am a confidence player,” Aditi said. “When you win a tournament you feel like your game is there and even though I didn’t have any practice rounds, I do feel like my game is pretty good this week and I will just continue to play my game.

“It’s nice to be up there after a couple of days but I think this field is pretty strong so I’m sure its not going to be easy.

“I guess it’s different from what i experienced last week because i was leading by a lot last week but it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. I’m just trying to play the golf course the best i can.”

Thursday’s leader Linnea Ström slipped down the leaderboard to third place on -4 after shooting a second round of 75 (+2) 

After starting on the tenth, the Swede began her day with birdies on holes 11 and 15, before dropping shots on the final two holes of the back nine to turn in level-par. 

But that good work was undone by three more dropped shots on the way in, with a single birdie on the second the only the only saving grace for the 26-year-old. She now looks to put pressure on younger Swede Stark; a player that she has looked up to in the past couple of years. 

“Last year it was really inspiring and motivating for me to see Maja and Linn Grant do so well.” Stark said, “Us older girls have to step up now if we want to do as well as they do. It’s very good for Sweden as a country as well to have such good players.

“I started off the round today very steady, I played good and was very relaxed, but then I had two bogies on 17 and 18. I do think i played decent but unfortunately I didn’t hit very good shots on the par threes.

“If I could choose I would rather be a couple of shots in front going into the final day to kind of take pressure off, but obviously its Maja up there so I will have to prepare myself to play very well tomorrow , if i want to have a chance.”

Swedish players are dominating the leaderboard after Friday’s action, with four-time LET winner Linn Grant heading into the final round in fourth spot. 

After a double bogey on the first, Grant held composure and secured an eagle on the eighth, a par-five hole with the Swede carding a 70 (-3) after the second day. 

“I found it really tough yesterday,” Grant admitted. “I was thinking of what I should be doing rather than just doing what I was supposed to be doing.

“I feel like I’m better today. I’m playing more aggressively today, where I’m usually at. I feel like I’m back in the game. 

“I think the wind was good today, some really short par holes so a lot of wedges in , which is always fun when they work. My driver is feeling really good as well.

“Last year I put a lot of time in with my wedges and forgot about it at the end of the year, and I’ve really picked up on that again , which showed up today.”

Four players then sit in a tie for fifth on two-under par – Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Czechia’s Jana Melichova, and Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela.

After the conclusion of the second round the cut fell at +8 with 67 players making it through to the weekend. This includes the Moroccan trio of Ines Laklalech, Maya Haddioui and Sofia Cherif Essakali – the 13-year-old amateur playing in her first LET event.

La marbellí Laura Gómez jugará el Lalla Meryem Cup del LET Golf

                    

 La golfista marbellí Laura Gómez comenzará su temporada del Ladies European Tour esta semana en Rabat( Marruecos ). Tras el parón en la celebración del Torneo por la pandemia regresa el Lalla Meryem Cup y valedero para el LET Golf. Nada menos que en las instalaciones del Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, en su recorrido azul, con 450.000 euros en premios para esta edición 2023.

En la lista de participantes destacan Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Johanna Gustavsson, Manon De Roey, Ana Peláez, la española Nuria Iturrioz( ganadora de la última edición del Torneo jugada en el año 2019 ) y las estrellas marroquíes Ines Laklalech, Maha Haddiaoui y Lina Belmati. Hastra siete jugadoras españolas estarán en Marruecos del 9 al 11.

Este es el segundo torneo del LET Golf tras su inicio en Kenya en la pasada semana.

La becada opor la "Marca Marbella" está con mucha moral de cara esta nueva campaña donde competirá en la élite del golf europeo profesional. 

La Lalla Meryem Cup Golf incluida en el Ladies European Tour 2023

           

 

El Ladies European Tour Golf ha anunciado su calendario para la temporada 2023. Con un mínimo de 30 torneos que repartirán unos 35 millones de euros en premios.

La gran novedad será el regreso del Circuito profesional europeo a Marruecos. Será en el mes de Febrero( 9 al 11 ) con la Lalla Meryem Cup  en el Blue Course del RoyaL Gold Dar es Salam( Rabat ). Desde el año 2019 no se celebra este torneo,. En este año 2023 se anuncia una bolsa de 450.000 euros en premios. Una gran oportunidad para las dos grandes golfistas  marroquíes( Ines Laklalech y Maha Haddioui ) para demostrar en casa su gran progresión en el Circuito 2022.

En total serán 21 los países que albergarán el próximo Ladies European Tour. En el continente africano también pasará, al margen de

Marruecos, por Kenya y Sudáfrica. La gran cita  para el golf femenino mundial será la Solheim Cup( Europa vs EEUU ) del 22 al 24 de Septiembre en el Finca Cortesin Golf de Casares( España ). 

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