Tandi, Lindi go low to share the first-round lead at Glendower

JOHANNESBURG – The Standard Bank Pro-Am Series got off to a flying start as Lindi Coetzee and Tandi McCallum carded opening rounds of 64 to share the halfway lead of the 36-hole Standard Bank Pro-Am series event held at Glendower Golf Club.

Preceded by a pro-am round on Tuesday, the professionals’ event got underway on Wednesday and it was Coetzee and McCallum who shone the most. Teeing off a few groups ahead of Coetzee, McCallum opened with birdies on the first and second holes. A double-bogey abruptly halted that progress on the par-three third. She dropped again on the fifth. She made par on six and birdies on seven and nine.

“I am very pleased with a 68,” said McCallum, “it’s a fantastic golf score, especially here at Glendower. I was very happy with my putting today. I did have two naughty three-putts despite my 68. I feel like I’m comfortable on the greens; I feel like I can gauge the distance quite well. You know, some days the hole looks like a Disprin and some days, like a bucket. Today it sort of looked like a bucket, especially on the back nine there, which is great.

“In general, I think my iron play was good and I was quite surprised because that is probably the weakest part of my game. So, today it came together and I made putts.”

Coming home, McCallum made pars on 10, 11 and 12 before important birdies on 13, 15 and 17 ensure she goes into the final round two shots ahead of the chasing pack, led by Ivana Samu.

Coetzee was just as scintillating on the homeward stretch where she made four birdies on the trot from the 11th through to the 14th before she found an eagle on the 15. She finished poorly, however, as she dropped on 16 and 18. She had two birdies and two drops on the front in her round of four-under 68.

“That was special,” said Coetzee of her birdie run and that eagle on the back nine. “I played solid golf on the front nine but on the back nine on that stretch of birdies, I couldn’t do anything wrong. Everything just worked for me and then I had that chip-in on the par-three and made the eagle and then I just carried on playing good golf. I finished with two drops, that wasn’t ideal but still, a great round and I’m excited for tomorrow.

“On this course, if you drive it well, you’re going to score and if you putt well, you’re going to score double. Some courses go through bad patches but Glendower is always in a good standard. The greens are perfect and it’s going to be exciting playing with Tandi tomorrow.”

Four-time winner in the inaugural season, Ivanna Samu, shot an opening round of 70 to remain within two shots of the leading pair while Namibia’s Bonita Bredenhann and winner of the last event played here, Tara Griebenow, share fourth on one-over-par.

The series was launched by Lifestyle Golf in collaboration with the Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA) in 2018 but was not played due to the outbreak of Covid-19 the next year. It is aimed at growing women’s golf on all levels and creating opportunities for them to play professionally throughout the year, which will enable them to hone their skills further.

For more information: Standard Bank Pro-Am Invitational and the Standard Bank Golf Development Programme – contact Lifestyle Golf – Jenny Havenga or Gina Read.

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