Tied at the Top and Loving It
Delacour and Krauter dazzle as Investec SA Women’s Open tees off in Cape Town sunshine
Augusta, Georgia - France’s Perrine Delacour and Germany’s Aline Krauter both signed for seven-under-par 65s to top the leaderboard after a golden Thursday at Erinvale Country and Golf Estate, as the Investec South African Women’s Open got underway in serene Cape Town conditions.
Delacour’s card was as crisp as the morning light—bogey-free, one eagle, and six birdies. The 31-year-old LET and LPGA regular put recent struggles behind her and found calm in the Cape. “The course is so pretty. If you’ve had a rough day or a bad shot, you just look at the view,” she smiled. “It helps you to decompress.”
She’ll need more of that serenity with three rounds still to play—but the Frenchwoman, a winner in Sweden last year, has every reason to feel at home atop the leaderboard.
Joining her is 25-year-old Krauter, whose only blemish came at the second. With eight birdies in all and her parents watching on, she felt right at ease. “It was amazing,” she said. “It wasn't as windy as I’ve heard it can get here… I took advantage of that. I'm excited for the rest of the week.”
Behind the leaders, a trio sits just one stroke back: Namibia’s Bonita Bredenhann—who aced the 14th with a sweet six-iron strike—France’s Lucie Malchirand, and Czech rising star Sara Kouskova, all carding six-under 66s. Bredenhann’s hole-in-one might have missed out on the R500,000 prize—only awarded later in the tournament—but the grin on her face was worth its own weight in rand.
Malchirand stayed blemish-free while Kouskova, already building momentum this season, dropped just one shot. “We took advantage of the par-fives,” said Kouskova. “Three more rounds—anything can happen.”
South African amateur Gia Raad joined three others at five-under, a spirited 67 marking her as the top local performer. Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck, Austria’s Emma Spitz (celebrating her birthday), and France’s Nastasia Nadaud also share sixth place, two off the pace.
Further back, 2013 champion Marianne Skarpnord and first reserve Brianna Navarossa sit at four-under. England’s Rosie Davies, marking her 100th LET appearance, opened with a steady one-under 71.
Round two resumes Friday at 7.15am local time, with sun forecast and storylines bubbling. Cape Town has set the scene. Now the players must chase the drama.