Pace up against Woods in golf showcase

16 October 2014 - 02:00 By Michael Vlismas
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Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods, and her caddy Alexia Brown get in some practice for the Cell C SA Women's Open which tees off today at San Lameer Country Club on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. More than 20 countries are represented in the field of 124 international tour players, who will be battling it out for the first prize of R675,000. Picture: JACKIE CLAUSEN
Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods, and her caddy Alexia Brown get in some practice for the Cell C SA Women's Open which tees off today at San Lameer Country Club on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. More than 20 countries are represented in the field of 124 international tour players, who will be battling it out for the first prize of R675,000. Picture: JACKIE CLAUSEN

South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace is more determined than ever to win the South African Women's Open, which tees off at San Lameer Country Club today.

Pace is keenly aware of her place in the local women's professional golf and how much a win would add to its development.

"Women's golf is growing so much. There's talk of more tournaments and so many things in the pipeline, which is good for us.

"So I've prepared well for it this year to peak at exactly this time. I'm hitting the ball really well at the moment."

Pace leads a large South African contingent in an international field featuring eight winners on the Ladies European Tour this year, all of whom are vying for the R4.5-million in prize money.

The weather forecast predicts strong winds tomorrow, but Pace says she's ready for whatever comes her way this week.

American Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods's niece, is hoping to make a greater impact this year as well, returning as a maiden winner on the Ladies European Tour.

Said Woods: "I'm real excited to be back. Unfortunately last year I missed the cut and the tournament was reduced. But just being back is great. The people and how they make you feel when you're here is really special."

Woods said she had also noticed the improvement in the South African women's game .

"You're seeing more improvement every year with the sponsors and the event itself, so it's great to see that there is so much support for women's golf here in South Africa, and they want us back and they want the event to be bigger and better."

Norway's Marianne Skarpnord is the defending champion, having won this tournament when it had to be decided over 18 holes last year because of heavy rain.

The field for this 72-hole tournament also includes South Africans Ashleigh Simon, Connie Chen and Stacy Bregman, English professional and 23-time Ladies European Tour winner Trish Johnson and young English star Charley Hull.

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