Alexander eyes home breakthrough in Cape Town
South Africa’s top-ranked star chases elusive first win of 2026 after playoff heartbreak
Paju, Korea - Casandra Alexander will target a long-awaited home victory at the Investec SA Women’s Open after a narrow playoff defeat at the Joburg Ladies Open extended her run of near misses this season.
The World No 40 arrives at Royal Cape Golf Club buoyed by a closing 66 that forced a playoff at Randpark, where she ultimately fell on the first extra hole despite a round featuring two eagles.
“It’s always a special week,” Alexander said. “In my eyes coming from Joburg, the Joburg Ladies Open is just as cool, but the SA Open is the big one. It’s your home title and it’s the one everyone wants to win, whether you’re male or female. It’s definitely a special week.”
The runner-up finish marked her third second place on the Ladies European Tour this season, alongside another on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, underlining both her consistency and frustration in equal measure.
“I actually got a Facebook reminder reminding me that I won the Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit a year ago today,” she said. “So it’s pretty cool to see that this time last year I was top-100, and now we’re top-40. Hopefully we can keep going.”
Alexander, the highest-ranked player in the field, expects low scoring in Cape Town but warned of the challenge should conditions shift.
“It’s a good golf course,” she said. “I’ve been playing it since we were young… if the wind gets going it can get tough. It is very soft so I think the scores will be low this week. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”