Hayley Davis
Although the wind was a little stronger in the morning, the afternoon starters for the second round of the Terre Blanche Ladies Open had the worst of the conditions. Torrential rain had been forecast from midday onwards but fortunately that little bit of wind forced the heaviest rainfall south of the golf course.
Overnight leader Hayley Davis started strongly with a birdie on her first hole, the par five 10th, but four bogeys in a row from the 14th dropped the Englishwoman back to 5 under, just two shots ahead of France’s Valentine Derrey, who recorded a 2nd day 73 for a 3 under par total of 141. The rain started to fall as Davis moved to her back nine and she played her best golf in the tougher conditions heading home.
“The par 3 (14th hole) was where it all started, I thought I needed to hit a hard one to get there as I wasn’t quite sure and just a bit too quick and lost it and it went a bit long so that’s was a poor decision off the tee really. On the next hole, I hit a good tee shot maybe just a little bit on the right side and it went into the bunker, a bogey from there. The next hole my second shot went in the bunker. So it wasn’t any bad shots, it just didn’t happen yesterday and it did today. But it was still a solid round, I’m quite happy with it. I didn’t play that well today so it was just trying to get a half decent score out there to put me in a good position for tomorrow still, so that was the main thing keeping up there really, so I’m quite happy with it to be fair,” commented Davis.
Derrey is familiar with the Riou Course at the Terre Blanche Resort, having won this event back in 2017. The Frenchwoman played solidly to keep in touch going into the final day and understands the demands of the course.
“I guess the wind was stronger than yesterday. I found it tough to adapt myself with the clubs I was hitting. It was colder as well because I played in the morning, more layers on as well. Trying to just focus on myself and my game and of course I missed some shots. I made some bogeys and made some putts to recover so I finished one over today.”
“I think you really have to be first patient because you are going to miss some shots. Then I think your driving has to be in shape. The more fairways you take the better you can reach the greens in two. You’re going to have some difficult putts because the greens are pretty hilly and so you just have to be calm and patient with your game and trying to make some putts when you can and if not, just accept it and move on to the next one.”
“I think I am just going to be playing the same way I’m playing this week. Just going to hit the fairways, hit the greens and make some putts. And then really try to focus on myself only and play my own game.” Derrey commented.
The 31-year-old from Paris was joined in second place by Austria’s Sara Schober, who shot a two under par, 70, and Finn Tiia Koivisto who recorded an even par round 72.
French amateur Mathilde Claisse scored the lowest round of the day, a three under par, 69, to tie for 5th place with Spain’s Piti Martinez Bernal (74) at two under par.
Forty six professionals and eight amateurs made the cut, which fell at +6, a total of 150.
