CRIAG RAY, Paarl | Monday 10.30pm.
ENGLISHWOMAN Claire Duffy won her second consecutive title on the Vodacom ladies Tour with a four-shot victory in the R100000 Orlimar South African Players Championship at the Paarl Golf Club on Sunday.
Duffy’s even-par final round of 72 was enough to keep her at 10-under par 206, well clear of second placed South African Joanne Norton on six-under 210.
Norton shot a final round 73 with Italian Fedi Dassu on three-under 213 after a final round of 72.
It was Duffy’s second win in a week following her victory at the Vodacom South African Ladies Open at Mowbray and she won this event by leading from wire to wire.
Starting the day three shots clear, the gap had narrowed to one shot after the par-four 13th. Norton birdied the hole to move to seven-under with Duffy floundering at eight-under.
“I just didn’t swing well,” Duffy said. “I think I was a little nervous going into this round and at the turn I was two-over par for the round.”
The 15th was the turning point of the tournament though, as Norton pushed her drive right and into the trees off the tee. She was unable to put her second close and then failed to get up and down for par.
Duffy by comparison sank a long birdie putt to move to nine-under opening the lead to three-shots.
Norton leaves for the United States on Monday where she is going to campaign on the Futures Tour, the equivalent of the old Nike Tour for men.
Duffy opening round of 63 was the lowest of her career and set up the win as she played modest golf for the remaining two days.
“I didn’t come out aggressively today, which was perhaps the wrong strategy,” Duffy said, “but I didn’t want to make mistakes and it paid off in the end.”
The European Tour only gets underway six weeks from now and Duffy, who returns to England tomorrow, says she won’t be going back to her job at a sports shop as she prepares for the season. — MWP