Rookie Willams banks a strong start at Standard Bank Ladies Open

Sunshine Ladies Tour rookie, Kaylah Williams, carded an impressive seven-under-par 65 to lead by three shots after Thursday’s opening round of the Standard Bank Ladies Open hosted by The City of Cape Town at Durbanville Golf Club.

Williams only turned professional at the end of 2025, after playing college golf in America.

“I played at Florida University for four years where I was captain during my last year. Being a professional golfer is tough. All of a sudden playing for cuts and for money. It’s pressure, but I love it because I am doing a sport that I love.”

Playing in only her third tournament as a professional on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, the South African rookie started her opening round on the 10th tee.

After turning in one under following a slow start, she moved to another level on the second nine with four birdies and an eagle.

“Not the nicest of starts for sure. My shots were a little bit all over the place, but I relied on my chipping and putting and I made a lot of up-and-downs. My game came together on the front nine. I just stayed patient and eventually putts started to drop,” Williams said.

But Williams doesn’t want to get ahead of herself with two more rounds to come.

“Yes I’ve done very well this round, but I’ve got two more very important days ahead of me. I’ve put myself in a very good position, and I’m just going to stick to the same gameplan, the same thoughts, and step on that tee-box in the second round like it is the first day,” she said.

Germany’s Carolin Kauffmann is in second place on four under par followed by the 2024 champion Gabrielle Venter and Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey, who both signed for rounds of 69.

SCORES

65 - Kaylah Williams

68 - Carolin Kauffmann (GER)

69 - Olivia Mehaffey (NIR)

69 - Gabrielle Venter

70 - Lois Lau (FRA)

70 - Bronwyn Doeg

71 - Isabella van Rooyen

71 - Romy Meekers (NED), Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ), Kelsey Nicholas, Danielle du Toit, Thalia Martin (ENG)

72 - Ivanna van der Merwe

72 - Rebecca Earl (ENG), Ellie Gower (ENG), Hulda Gestsdottir (ICE), Lianna Bailey (ENG), Tiffany Arafi (SUI), Hanna Tauber (GER), Nadia van der Westhuizen, Lee-Anne Pace

73 - Mia Eales-Smith (ENG)

73 - Lorna McClymont (SCO), Charlotte Liautier (FRA), Kiera Floyd

74 - Canice Screene (IRL)

74 - Gala Dumez (FRA), Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL), Madelene Stavnar (NOR), Louisa Carlbom (SWE), Jordan Rothman, Doris Chen (TPE), Rosie Belsham (ENG), Hayley Davis (ENG)

75 - Gia Raad (a)

75 - Ellen Hume (ENG), Chloe Salort (FRA), Michaela Fletcher, Cara Ford, Tina Mazarino (NOR), Kaiyuree Moodley, Lora Assad, Symone Henriques, Stacy Bregman

76 - Anita Uwadia (BRI)

76 - Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE), Anais Meyssonnier (FRA), Tara Baglione, Nina Pegova (WHT), Lenanda Nel, Chiara Horder (GER), Demi Flanagan, Cara Gorlei

77 - Maegan Webster (a)

77 - Andrea Bergsdottir (ISL), Marianne Skarpnord (NOR), Theresa de Bochdanovits (GER), Zane Kleynhans, Ashley Chow (CAN), Emie Peronnin (FRA), Charlotte Millard (a)

78 - Ellandri van Heerden

78 - Odette Booysen (a), Danielle Hardwick (ENG), Taylor White (SCO), Michelle Forsland (NOR), Sophie Witt (GER), Bobbi Brown

79 - Hester Sicking (NED)

79 - Naom Wafula (KEN), Lynette Fourie, Tandi McCallum, Hannah Karg (GER), Pasqualle Coffa (NED)

80 - Lee-Ann van der Merwe (a)

80 - Chante van Zyl, Michaela Vavrova (SVK), Lindi Coetzee, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)

81 - Shawnelle de Lange

81 - Clara Pietri (SUI)

82 - Leontine Petit (FRA)

82 - Louise Duncan (SCO), Linn Wiberg (SWE)

84 - Kaylee Webster (a)

84 - Lilly Speer (a) (GER)

85 - Kim de Klerk

89 - Kayla van der Merwe (a)

Image: © Sunshine Ladies Tour