GAUTENG: Tvesa Malik, winner last fortnight in the Sunshine Tour, opened with a modest 2-over 74 in the first round of the Fidelity ADT Ladies Challenge at Blue Valley Golf Estate.
She was placed T-37, as English golfer Georgia Coughlin took the lead at 4-under 68. Coughlin shared the lead with Sweden’s Ellen Hutchinson-Kay and South Africa’s Kiera Floyd.
Tvesa, starting from the 10th ran into three bogeys in the first seven holes on the 11th, 13th and the 16th. A birdie on the 18th, her ninth holes, saw her turn in 2-over 38.
Tvesa, a multiple winner on her home Tour, the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, picked her first international title in her previous start on the Tour. She picked a birdie on the third, but gave that shot away on the ninth, her closing hole for the first round at the widely acclaimed golf course designed by Gary Player.
The R250 000 Fidelity ADT Ladies Challenge made its debut on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, as a part of an impressive eight-tournament schedule.
The 2024 Sunshine Ladies Tour teed off on a strong note with Scotland’s Kylie Henry opening the season with victory in the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am at Fancourt and then India’s Tvesa Malik won the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International at the Lost City.
Six players Hannah Arnold, Pasqualle Coffa, Vanessa Knecht, Carolin Kaufmann, Elena Hualde and Romy Meekers shot 3-under 69 each to be tied fourth.