for quality writing

Ken Borland


Reto starts like a fish out of water, but then all goes swimmingly 0

Posted on April 09, 2024 by Ken

SUN CITY, North-West – United States-based South African Paula Reto may have looked a bit like a fish out of water when she bogeyed the second and third holes on the second day of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International on Thursday, but the rest of her round at the Lost City Golf Club then went swimmingly as she claimed a share of the lead.

Reto went on a run of five birdies in six holes from the fifth hole, and then added back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, before returning from a lightning break with another gain on the 17th. Her superb six-under-par 66 lifted her to eight-under overall and she will go into the final round tied for the lead with India’s Tvesa Malik, who fired a stunning 65.

The 33-year-old Reto won this tournament in 2022, but it was then played at the Gary Player Country Club. But after a tough 2023 campaign on the LPGA Tour, Reto is in a good frame of mind back in her home country, and it showed in her ability to bounce back from two early setbacks on Thursday.

“I don’t know what happened really, I hit a bad tee-shot on the second and suddenly I’d gone bogey-bogey. I just said to myself that I must give myself opportunities and fortunately I then managed to get the ball close to the hole a few times, and chipped in on the eighth, which is always nice for your momentum,” Reto said.

“Lost City is completely different to the GPCC, you have to strategise more off the tees, it’s a course that requires more thinking. To be able to bounce back after those two bogeys felt really good and I was very happy that I kept to the plan. I was able to stay on plan and not let the bogeys get to me.

“Last year was tough because I struggled with my swing a bit and I couldn’t string four good rounds together. It starts to take a toll on your confidence and you start to try and change so much all at once.

“So at the start of this year I just tried to hone in on a few things, make sure I do those basics well. I’m happy with where my game is heading and I just love coming back here to South Africa, being with my family and feeling a bit like I’m on vacation,” Reto said.

Getting married on December 29 to fellow Indian professional golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu certainly seems to have bear fruit for Malik as she produced an outstanding, bogey-free round with four birdies on the back nine and then three on the front.

First-round leader Lauren Taylor shot a 70 on Thursday to move to six-under-par, two off the lead, while exciting South African youngster Gabrielle Venter shot 68 on Thursday to move to five-under.

Tags:
Category Golf, Sport

Roos powers to low round of first morning 0

Posted on February 04, 2015 by Ken

A dream start was briefly halted at the third hole, but South African Jake Roos powered on to the low round of the morning session on the first day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek on Thursday.

Roos, starting on the 10th tee, began with an iffy drive but promptly sank his second, a five-iron from 163 metres, for a spectacular eagle on the par-four dogleg hole. A birdie followed on the par-four 11th, before the 34-year-old missed the green and bogeyed the par-three 12th.

But thereafter it was smooth sailing for Roos as he capitalised on the easier back nine with three successive birdies from the 14th hole and added two more birdies coming in, on the sixth and ninth holes, both of which are par-fours.

Roos posted a seven-under-par 65, which left him one stroke ahead of Englishman Matt Ford and two ahead of Spain’s Nacho Elvira and South African Michael Hollick.

“The first hole, when I holed out with my second, was just the ice-breaker I needed. The five-iron came out perfectly, it looked good all the way but I couldn’t see because of the slope of the green. One guy put his hand up at the green and I just started laughing and took it from there,” Roos said after his fabulous round.

“I felt good about the day, I was comfortable, swinging nicely and I had some great birdie putts on the back nine, where there are more birdie opportunities. The front nine is quite tough, especially the opening holes. Six is the only really short one and I was able to take advantage there, and then I had a nice putt on the last from 15-20 feet. The ninth is playing long and I had to hit a six-iron in, a bit into the wind. But I was rolling the putts very nicely today.”

Ford, who has just earned a place on the European Tour for the first time after his 10th visit to qualifying school, was alone in second place after a super round that included eight birdies and just two dropped shots.

The 36-year-old said it was his precision iron play that was to thank for his success, leading to 10 putts from inside 10 feet.

Ford was considering giving up golf to become a postman, while Roos earned his European Tour card for the first time through the Challenge Tour; both golfers certainly did not look out of place as they headed the early leaderboard at Malelane.

http://citizen.co.za/291686/roos-roars-to-top-of-leopard-creek-leaderboard/

Tags:
Category Golf, Sport

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Thought of the Day

    Ephesians 4:15 – “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

    “When you become a Christian, you start a new life with new values and fresh objectives. You no longer live to please yourself, but to please God. The greatest purpose in your life will be to serve others. The good deeds that you do for others are a practical expression of your faith.

    “You no longer live for your own pleasure. You must be totally obedient to the will of God.” – Solly Ozrovech, A Shelter From The Storm

    The goal of my life must be to glorify and please the Lord. I need to grow into Christ-likeness!



↑ Top