Casandra Alexander produced a magnificent bogey-free round of 61 to lead the Sunshine Tour’s Waterfall City Tournament of Champions by two strokes at Royal Johannesburg’s East Course on Friday.

Competing as one of the champions on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this past season, Alexander surged to the top of the leaderboard on 13 under par, with Sunshine Tour professional Louis

Albertse her nearest challenger on 11 under par following his second round of 68.

Sunshine Tour professionals Rupert Kaminski and Gerhard Pepler are currently tied third headed into the weekend on seven under par. Ivan Verster is the leading amateur on six under par.

The elite 34-player field brings together champions from the Sunshine Tour, Sunshine Ladies Tour and the amateur ranks of GolfRSA in what has been designed to showcase the strength of South African golf throughout its structures.

And there was no greater evidence of this than Alexander’s performance.

With the Sunshine Ladies Tour having just completed another successful season featuring eight tournaments – two of which we co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour – Alexander’s performance is another powerful statement of the strides made to advance women’s professional golf in South Africa.

The Sunshine Tour has helped to advance this through offering spots for leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professionals into its Vodacom Origins of Golf series of tournaments last season, where they competed for the same prize money as the Sunshine Tour professionals.

Alexander recently claimed her fifth title on the Sunshine Ladies Tour in the ABSA Ladies Invitational, and this 61 was a clear indication of a professional with big ambitions for this season.

“I’ve worked really hard on my consistency in all areas of my game, inside and outside the ropes,” said Alexander, who had to work through ankle surgery in December and a change in coach before the season started.

“My biggest goal this season is to finish in the top 10 on the Ladies European Tour so that I can get through to the Final Stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School at the end of the year.” – Michael Vlismas.

SCORES:

131 - Casandra Alexander 70 61

133 - Louis Albertse 65 68

137 - Rupert Kaminski 70 67, Gerhard Pepler 67 70

138 - Kyle Barker 72 66, Rhys Enoch 72 66, Ryan Van Velzen 70 68, Deon Germishuys 69 69, Hennie Otto 68 70, Ivan Verster 67 71

139 - CJ du Plessis 72 67, Darren Fichardt 71 68, Nikhil Rama 70 69, Robson Chinhoi 67 72

140 - Gabrielle Venter 72 68, Heinrich Bruiners 72 68, Jaco Ahlers 69 71

141 - Cara Gorlei 74 67, Altin van der Merwe 72 69, Neil Schietekat 71 70, Pieter Moolman 71 70, Tvesa Malik 69 72

142 - Martin Rohwer 71 71

143 - Jbe' Kruger 74 69, Peter Karmis 73 70, Bjorn Akesson 68 75, Kylie Henry 67 76

144 - Jonathan Broomhead 74 70, Robin Williams 73 71

145 - Malcolm Mitchell 74 71, Luca Filippi 73 72

151 - Lejan Lewthwaite 77 74

153 - Leon Vorster 80 73

163 - Kesha Louw 85 78