Paarl’s Pace in history-making golf hat-trick
THE final round of the SA Women’s Open at San Lameer Country Club belonged to Lee-Anne Pace, who marched to a historic hat-trick on Saturday.
An overnight lead of six strokes proved insurmountable for the chasing pack as Pace put on a class act on another windswept day on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast layout.
She shrugged off an early charge from compatriot Stacey Bregman and went around the layout in 72 strokes to close out a runaway seven-stroke victory over Ashleigh Simon on eight-under-par 208.
In raising the trophy for a third successive year, Pace wrote her name in the South African golfing annals as the first three-time winner of the national championship.
“Mission accomplished,” Pace said through a beaming smile. “I could stand here and hold this trophy forever. “Ever since I won for the second time, I dreamt about this moment, and to own a little piece of golf history in my homeland is priceless.”
Pace claimed her first title in 2014 and joined former champions Brenda Lunsford and Barbara Pestana as a double winner with back-to-back victories on the 2016 Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Knowing that she had a chance to become the first three-time winner, the Paarl golfer rearranged her LPGA Tour schedule when the national championship was moved to January to form part of this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour.
“I was going to play Hawaii, but when I heard the SA Women’s Open date moved, I changed my LPGA Tour schedule so I could go for the hat-trick.”
Pace laid the foundation for her hat-trick with an opening six-under-par 66, but said the last two rounds were tough. “The windy conditions . . . certainly tested our patience,” Pace said.
If she was the main act, Woo Ju Son definitely deserved the best supporting award.
The reigning No 1 junior returned rounds of 74, 73 and 78 to tie for ninth with professionals Monique Smit and Ivanna Samu at nine over 225.
The top 10 finish earned the 15-year-old from Country Club Johannesburg the Jackie Mercer Trophy as the leading amateur.