As a lover of scrapbooking, England’s Esme Hamilton now has a very special golf memory to add to her collection after claiming her maiden Ladies European Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour title in the Investec South African Women’s Open at Royal Cape Golf Club on Sunday.
Related: Babnik, Hamilton lead after rough day at SA Women’s Open
Hamilton closed with a 71 on a final day of constant rain to win on 15 under par, two strokes clear of fellow English professional Cara Gainer who signed for a 72. Slovenia’s Pia Babnik took third place on 12 under par with a final round of 74.
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Caitlyn Macnab finished as the leading South African on two over par following a closing 78, while Lisa Coetzer claimed the Jackie Mercer Trophy as the leading amateur on 11 over par with a final round of 78.
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Hamilton was delighted to claim her maiden title in only her second season on the Ladies European Tour.
“This means a lot. I’m a bit lost for words. This is something I’ve dreamt about for a while. Hopefully this is the start of many more wins. I’m very ambitious and I’m excited about how I can build on this. But I’m going to make sure I enjoy this first,” she said.
Hamilton and Babnik teed off the final round tied for the lead on 13 under par, with Gainer just one shot behind them. Playing in the final group together, the title was a battle between all three of them as they each shared the lead on occasion.
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The only significant mistake made by Hamilton on the final day was a loose drive on the ninth hole, which led to a double bogey and saw her tied for the lead with Gainer going into the back nine. But three birdies on the back nine secured her the title.
“I tried to just play my own game, which is a little harder when you have an LET title on the line. The steady golf made the difference today. I needed a lot of patience because this is a tight golf course and mistakes are going to happen. When I did make a mistake I either recovered well or stayed patient and waited for the birdies to come. I was so in the zone today because I felt like anything could happen.”
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Hamilton is one of the many success stories of the Sunshine Ladies Tour as it played a part in her journey to this milestone.
“I played some Sunshine Ladies Tour events last season and it means a lot thinking about how far I’ve come since last year. I didn’t have a full LET card, but with the Investec support of the Sunshine Ladies Tour there are good money events that enables us to earn and build our career, and that means a lot,” she said.
