Ashleigh Buhai shot a third round 69 at the Investec South African Women’s Open to take a four-shot lead heading into the final day from teenage sensation Chiara Noja and Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino.
Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher is five back in fourth place, but is one of three players to card all three rounds in the 60s, but she will have to go pin hunting from the opening hole to put pressure on Buhai.
Taking on the course
Despite the wind getting up at Steenberg Golf Club, many players managed to break par and if playing conditions tomorrow are calmer and Buhai fails to break away, any player from the top four could lift the title.
“I’m happy with my day,” said Buhai. “For me to hang in there mentally, I think I did a really good job. The shot on number one, I hit it where I wanted to and the wind switched and it fell out of the air. I made the swing and that’s all I can do.”
Money game
While we are waiting to see who will come out victorious of the $320,000 event in South Africa, the players will be using it as a form booster going into next week’s Aramco Team Series in Florida with a purse of $1 million. Though to put that in perspective of the battle going on in the men’s game. The Player’s Champion on Sunday will walk away with a cheque worth $4,500,000 and later this month LIV Golf will be paying out the same level of prize money to its players at their event in Orlando.
