Haddioui loves visiting SA
MAHA HADDIOUI secured a careerbest third-place finish at the South African Women’s Open last season and the Moroccan star is excited to be back at Westlake Golf Club.
“I am really happy to come back to South Africa, especially coming back to Cape Town and the same course as last year,” Haddioui said. “I love visiting South Africa and I know a lot of people here. There is always a great atmosphere here in Cape Town and I’m excited to start this year’s event.”
Haddioui, who represented Morocco in the Rio Olympic golf competition, has fond memories from last year’s performance and is hoping that her course knowledge will provide the platform for another great week.
“I like the course and I feel that I know it well,” she said.
“It’s kind of funny, as you need to fade the ball a lot around this course and one of the strengths of my game is how I shape it with a draw. Because the course doesn’t suit my game, it forces me to focus more on targets and where I need to position the ball.
“Golf is complicated sometimes, isn’t it? By having to use more imagination with shots and thinking about the shape of the hole, it really worked for me last year. I am taking confidence into the week based on my performance and the many great memories from the tournament last season.”
Haddioui placed third on four-under par and is hoping to go two spots better and head home with the trophy.
“It would be simply amazing to win the 2019 Investec South African Women’s Open, but I’ve just come off three tough weeks in Australia, so I am first focusing on having a solid start. To get the win would be awesome, though,” Haddioui said.
A total of 26 nations are represented in the world-class field of 126 players who will contest the 54-hole event starting today for the lion’s share of the R2million purse, exemption for the rest of the season on the Ladies European Tour and starts in two Majors – the British Women’s Open and Evian Championship.
Three of pre-tournament favourites – Karolin Lampert, Julia Engstrom and Carly Booth – visited the picturesque Boulders Beach on Tuesday for some motivation and were inspired by the experience of getting up close and personal with the African Penguins.
Germany’s Lampert, the runner-up last year, is looking forward to another great week in SA.
“My game has been improving the last few weeks in Australia and I am happy where it is now,” Lampert said. “The first three days of the Women’s New South Wales Open was really good, so I aim to build on that. I like the setup of this course and have positive memories from last year, so I am targeting a strong week.”