Stacy Bregman puts the heat

on rivals in Pam Golding International

South African, Stacy Bregman, pictured right, jumped into a two-shot lead after the first round of the Ladies African Tour's Pam Golding Ladies International at the Nelspruit Golf Club.
“I seemed to sink all the putts on the difficult holes today, and missed the short ones!" said a very happy Bregman.
The heat was unbearable for most players, except for the leader who returned a four-under-par 68.
She birdied the short third and should have birdied the long fifth where she was home in to but three-putted.
Her only bogey of the day came at the par-4 sixth where she drove into the rough and could only chip out on to the fairway.
Bregman reached the green at the par-5 ninth in two and just missed a putt for an eagle 3. The birdie put her out in two under par.
“The course can be quite punishing. The greens are only five months old, so they are not as smooth as you would like them to be”, said Bregman who played a steady back nine. Carding a further two birdies, Bregman finished two shots clear of fellow South African Morgana Robbertze.
Robbertze also felt that the tough course played its part.
“Besides being extremely hot today, you have to play really smartly. This course is tougher than the last two weeks on tour have been,” said a weary Robbertze.
Robbertze started off the 10th tee, and bogeyed her first two holes. She managed to settle a little when she sank a 15ft birdie putt at the 15th hole.
She bogeyed the 16th where she drove into the rough. Despite a good recovery, she could not save par.
But she did hole from 30ft for a birdie 2 at the 17th and turned in one over par.
Still a bit shaky from a stomach bug, Robbertze seems to settle her game after the turn. Taking a seven iron approach shot, she just missed an eagle opportunity on the par-5 first hole. She then had good putts on both the fourth and fifth holes to claim her final birdies of the day for a score of 70.
Leading amateur after the first round is Gauteng’s Tandi von Ruben who carded a 73, one shot clear of defending champion Lee-Anne Pace.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
Players from South Africa unless stated
(am) denotes amateur.
68 Stacy Bregman
70 Morgana Robbertze
71 Johanna Westerberg (Swe), Anna Temple (US), Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den).
72 Maria Boden (Swe).
73 Tandi von Ruben (am), Julie Tvede (Den), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Emma Lyons (Eng), Jo Clingan (Eng).
74 Emma Zackrisson (Swe), Lee-Anne Pace, Rebecca Hudson (Eng), Julie Berton (Fra).
75 Sandra Winter (am), Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin), Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin), Kelly Hutcherson (Eng), Ashleigh Holmes (am), Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra), Maria Beautell (Spa).
76 Crizelda van Niekerk; Lill Kristin Saether (Nor), Rose Naliaka (Ken), Florence Luscher (Swi), Zuzana Kamasova (Slo), Bonita Bredenhann (Nam) (am), Anna Becker-Frankel (Swe).
77 Gina Switala (am), Caroline Afonso (Fra), Mandy Adamson.
78 Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor), Nora Kagonyera (Uga), Antonella Cvitan (Swe), Sandra Carlborg (Swe).
79 Kim Williams (am), Margherita Rigon (Ita), Laurette Maritz, Ana Larraneta (Spa), Sune Du Plooy (am), Lise Botha, Karin Borjeskog (Swe).
80 Frederique Seeholzer (Swi), Mercia Pretorius (am), Caryn Louw.
81 Jillian Wyne (Can), Carmen Alonso (Spa).
82 Esther Strous (Net), Monja Richards; Kirsty Fisher (Eng).
83 Stenna Westerlund (Fin), Nora Angehrn (Swi).
84 Stephanie Ruiz (US), Michelle de Vries.
85 Alana van Greuning (am).
86 Nicole Carlse (am).
88 Mariette Language (am), Monique Kruijer (am).
94 Biance Barnard (am).

Official Tournament website: http://www.ladiesafricantour.com/