BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
ZIMBABWE’S top female amateur golfer Danielle Bekker’s star continues to shine both locally and beyond the country’s borders after recently winning the Ladies Club Championship titles at her respective home clubs locally and in South Africa.
Bekker, who is a member at Champan Golf Club and Johannesburg Country Club in South Africa, won the Ladies Club Championships at both courses within a space of a week to further underline her status as one of the brightest rising stars in the sport locally.
The 16-year-old golfer’s impressive run started on May 12 when she won the 36-hole 2019 Chapman Ladies Club Championship by a margin of 14 strokes over Loyce Chingono.
On her way to victory, Bekker broke the Chapman ladies’ course record of 71 set by Claire Minter in 2011 when she carded a record-breaking opening round of three-under par 69.
Barely seven days after her success on home soil, Bekker was celebrating the Johannesburg Country Club Ladies Club Championships, which was also played over two days.
Bekker, who is in her second year as a member at Johannesburg Country Club, was making her debut in the club’s annual ladies’ championships.
Unlike the Chapman tournament when she led from start to finish, Bekker’s campaign in South Africa did not get off to a perfect start after carding 78 in the opening round to be seven shots behind the leader and defending champion Angie Thompson.
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She, however, showed tremendous determination to bounce back and shoot 74 on the final day and force a playoff with Marine Legentill after both players had finished tied.
Bekker held her nerve to win the coveted title with a birdie on the second playoff hole to become the 2019 Lady Club Champion for Johannesburg Country Club — a club that was founded in 1906.
Prior to her success during the club championship events, Bekker and another fledgling Zimbabwean star, Emily Jones, took part in the Gauteng Ladies Open Strokeplay played out at Johannesburg Country Club, where they finished 8th and 10th on the leaderboard respectively.
Next week the duo will to represent Mpumalanga province in the Women’s Golf South Africa (WGSA) Teams Championship to be hosted at Maccauvlei Golf Club in Vereeniging from June 2 to 5.
After the conclusion of the WGSA Teams Championship, Bekker and Jones will then head to Lusaka to participate in the Zambian Ladies Open, which will be played from June 7 to 9.
