Women's Golf Association of India

Tvesa Malik maintains momentum, lies seventh in South Africa

Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, April 6: Tvesa Malik continued her momentum in South Africa as she was placed Tied-seventh in the Absa Ladies Invitational on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.

Tvesa, who won her first international title in South Africa, this season, had rounds of 72-72 and is even par for 36 holes at the Serengeti Estates, where the conditions were tough with gusting wind and testing pin positions.

India’s other player in the field, Ridhima Dilawari, also a winner on India’s domestic Tour, the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, also made the cut with 74-73 and was T-19.

Tvesa, who had three birdies and three bogeys in the first round, was looking very good on a windy second day, with three birdies against one bogey in her first six holes after starting from the 10th. She dropped shots on 17 and 18 around the turn for her. She had two birdies against one bogey on her second nine and overall had five birdies against five bogeys in the round of her second even par round.

Kiera Floyd (67-71) and Casandra Alexander (68-70) will go into the final round sharing the lead after the pair of South Africans handled the conditions well. They are both at 6-under 138.

The 19-year-old first-round leader Floyd shot a one-under-par 71 in the second round on Friday to go to six-under-par overall. She had three birdies against two bogeys on her home course.

The 24-year-old Alexander also started her second round on the 10th and struggled to a one-over 37 at the turn. But she mounted a superb comeback on the front nine, picking up birdies on the first and second holes and had a 33 for a round of 70.

They are three shots ahead of another South African, the vastly-experienced Lee-Anne Pace, who collected three birdies in four holes around the turn and posted a one-under 71 on Friday.

Spain’s Harang Lee shot a 69 on Friday and leapt into fourth place on two-under-par and Namibia’s Bonita Bredenhann and South African Stacy Bregman are on one-under.