Stars of local and international women’s golf set for Joburg Ladies Open

The stars of the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour will gather at Modderfontein Golf Club this week for the co-sanctioned Joburg Ladies Open, which boasts one of its strongest fields yet, led by the top-ranked players on both tours. 

SA’s Casandra Alexander, No 1 on the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Order of Merit, and England’s Cara Gainer, No 1 on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, will lead a strong international field when this €300,000 tournament tees off on Thursday. 

All top 10 players on the Order of Merit is in the field this week, including six champions on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this year in Alexander, Danielle du Toit, Kiera Floyd, Nadia van der Westhuizen, Lucie Malchirand and Thalia Martin. 

The Ladies European Tour challenge is equally strong and will feature seven of their top 10 on the Order of Merit, including 2025 winners Gainer and Mimi Rhodes. 

Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini is also back to defend her Joburg Ladies Open title. It’s the perfect stage for Alexander to make the kind of statement her form suggests she’s capable of. 

“I’ve played the Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein before, so I’m not trying to look too far ahead now. I don’t want to make it any bigger than it is. I’m just going to play it like it’s another golf tournament. That’s where my mindset is right now,” said Alexander, who has a win and four top-five finishes in the six Sunshine Ladies Tour events to date. 

There’s no doubt that this week will play a big role in Alexander’s goal of winning the Order of Merit this season. Kiera Floyd, another champion in the field, is equally excited to test herself against the strength of the Ladies European Tour this week. She comes into the Joburg Ladies Open with a win and two top-10s in her last six tournaments on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.

 “I’m looking forward to Modderfontein. I’ve played that golf course throughout my childhood and I love it. I’m really looking forward to the co-sanctioned events and have been working physically and mentally to be ready for them,” she said. 

Kaiyuree Moodley has emerged as a bright young star on the tour this season. Moodley has had three top-10s — including a runner-up finish — this season and is leading the new R&A Rookie of the Year race coming into the Joburg Open.