Van der Westhuizen dominates at Royal Johannesburg to claim fourth title

Nadia van der Westhuizen powered her way to a dominant ABSA Ladies Invitational win at Royal Johannesburg on Saturday, securing her fourth Sunshine Ladies Tour title by seven strokes.

“I am extremely happy about this title. I was leading from the first day, so I am very happy with the result,” Van der Westhuizen said.

Van der Westhuizen closed with a 66 to finish at 17-under-par, leaving fellow South African Jordan Rothman in second place at 10-under following a final round of 69.

The champion enjoyed a clinical start to Saturday’s final round, opening with an eagle and two birdies over the first four holes.

“It was a bit of a stressful morning, but I started with the eagle and just kept on pushing from there. As soon as I made that eagle, I relaxed a little bit, but kept pushing and turned in four-under after the first nine holes. There were a lot of positives as I committed to playing aggressive golf,” she said.

The victory follows a gruelling schedule. Significant time was lost on the opening day due to inclement weather, forcing Van der Westhuizen to play 32 holes on Friday. After the physical and mental toll of the week, the champion is now looking forward to a recovery period.

“I am really excited to have a bit of a break now and spend some time with family and friends, as it has been a tough three days. I am, however, excited about the rest of the season coming up.”

The Sunshine Ladies Tour now moves into its co-sanctioned swing with the Ladies European Tour. The action resumes at Randpark Golf Club for the Joburg Ladies Open, scheduled for 16–19 April.