.jpg)
2014 hasn’t been a particularly good year for Norway’s Marianne
Skarpnord on the LET but she’s known for her positive attitude, steely
determination and desire to succeed...qualities that will hold her in good
stead when she touches down in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, 13 October to defend
her SA Women’s Open crown.
“It’s a strange feeling
getting ready to travel to South Africa to defend my title knowing that I
haven’t played very well this year. I don’t feel like I’m under any extra
pressure as the reigning champion. Obviously I want to put in a good
performance but I don’t have any massive expectations.”
Added to her challenges
in KZN will be the fact that Skarpnord is heading to unfamiliar territory
because she has never played at the San Lameer Country Club.
“I think the course will be my big test at the Cell C SA Women’s
Open because I need to quickly learn the course and get used the greens.”
She vividly remembers
the 2013 South Africa Women’s Open for various reasons.
“It was certainly one
of the strangest tournaments I’ve competed in. The weather was just so brutal
but we were always hopeful that we would be able to play more than just one
round. When we received the message that no further play was possible and that
the winner would be declared based on the first round scores, I was shocked. I
was happy that I won but it didn’t feel real, it took me a few hours to realise
what had happened.”
The 2013 SA Women’s
Open will long be remembered as one of the wettest and shortest international
golf tournaments in South Africa. Skarpnord’s first round score of three under
par was good enough to be declared the winner, with a seven-way tie for second
consisting of South Africans Ashleigh Simon and Stacy Bregman, Minea Blomqvist
(Finland), Charley Hull (England), Camilla Lennarth (Sweden), Katie Burnett
(USA) and Nina Holleder (Germany).
“That wasn’t the way I
wanted to win but I’m glad I did because it gives me a bit more confidence,
excitement and positivity about playing in South Africa again. And, my caddy
Brian Shezi will be with me again which makes it even more exciting.”
The Norwegian is very
critical of her game on the LET this year. “I have played all the LET
tournaments this year with the last few being in Scotland, Sweden, Spain and
France where I played really well in the first two rounds but went on to have
bad weekends. In the past two weeks my game has just not been good enough to
compete at this level but I’m hoping that will change in South Africa next
week.” However, she did have to contend with a back injury in August.
“I had some problems
with my back two months ago which lasted for just under a month but I’m pleased
to say that I’m injury free now.” Skarpnord’s best finish this year has been a
tie for eighth in Italy.
As a junior, Marianne caught the attention
of the golfing fraternity with her natural-born talent and she quickly became
regarded as one of the country’s best golfers. As a teenager, she won the
British Girls Championship and the Junior Solheim Cup with Europe, a tournament
she is fondly remembered for having sunk a six-footer to secure the win for the
European team. Two years later in 2005 she got her tour card and marked her
entry to the professional circuit with a second place finish at the Skandia PGA
Open followed by a 22nd place finish at the LET-sanctioned OTP
Ladies Central European Open. Her first two years on Tour weren’t without
challenges for the Norwegian but she quickly turned around her fortunes in 2007
when she decided to play a full season at the Telia Tour. That year she won
three tournaments, picked up one second-place and a third-place finish and won
the Order of Merit to secure her 2008 LET card. In 2009, Skarpnord bagged her
first win on the LET when she defeated England’s Melissa Reid by a single
stroke in the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open. She went on to win the Carta Si
Ladies Italian Open after beating Laura Davies in a playoff and qualified for
the 2010 LPGA Tour after finishing as runner-up in the LPGA Final Qualifying
Tournament in Daytona.
Looking ahead to the
annual co-sanctioned Cell C SA Women’s Open with a prize-purse of €320 000, Skarpnord expects South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace to deliver
an impressive performance. “Lee-Anne is one of my favourite players and I think
she will be right up there challenging for the title this year.” Among an
impressive list of confirmed entrants are Ashleigh Simon, Stacy Bregman,
Cheyenne Woods, Maha Haddioui, Sharmilla Nicolett and Paula Reto.
The San Lameer Country
Club plays host to this year’s edition of South Africa’s oldest women’s
tournament with tee-off times at 06:45am and 11:15am on the first and 10th
tees respectively on Thursday, 16 October. The field comprises a maximum of 126
players, 10 of which will be amateurs.
Entry is free and there
will also be complimentary parking at San Lameer for spectators.
No comments:
Post a Comment