STANDARD BANK LADIES OPEN CONTENDERS IN CAPE TOWN 

Standard Bank Ladies Open swings into Cape Town this week with a strong field of challengers for this year’s title.

The Durbanville Golf Club will be the host to crown the 11th winner of the Sunshine Ladies Tour tournament previously known as the Cape Town Ladies Open.

The tournament runs from 20-23 February 2025.

With immaculate greens and breathtaking scenery, the Durbanville Golf Course stretches over 6173 metres from the tees.

The 18-hole golf course will host its inaugural Sunshine Ladies Tour event, featuring over 100 professional and amateur golfers from over 30 countries competing for a slice of the R1 million in prize money

The 2025 Standard Bank Ladies Open field is a formidable lineup of top golfers, including past and present champions as well as recent title contenders.

THE DEFENDING CHAMPION

Reigning Standard Bank Ladies Open champion, Gabrielle Venter, will be back in the Mother City to defend the title she won in 2024.

In her second Sunshine Ladies Tour season last year, Venter delivered a brilliant performance against an experienced field, to become one of the youngest champions on the circuit.

Venter, from Bloemfontein, has been playing golf since the age of 10 and turned professional in 2023.

She is relishing the opportunity to play this 54-hole tournament alongside previous champions as well as a mix of international stars.

“It’s very nice having the international golfers here. It just makes the field stronger, and it prepares you for what the players are like in Europe,” says Venter.

“Being a winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour means a lot. I feel good about my game. I think it’s in a good place. I have worked hard for the last three months so hopefully everything comes together this week. The course is very nice. I would say the back nine is a bit more difficult. I think if the wind is going to come up you’re going to have to focus, and I think the tee shots are going to be the most important aspect of your game here,” she said.

THE CONTENDER  

Venter and the rest of the field will be facing stiff competition from Danielle du Toit who will be riding high on the back of her NTT Data Ladies Pro-Am victory in George this past weekend.

She’s determined to follow it up with another strong performance in Durbanville.

“The victory was not only my victory, but a victory for the people that have supported me through thick and thin,” said Du Toit.

“Heading into this week, my game is in a really good place. It’s a little windy so I will have to adjust my game for those wind shots, making sure I know how much the ball is going to turn and how I want the ball to fly.”

THE VETERANS  

The young golfers will also have to fend off pressure from Sunshine Ladies Tour stalwarts Lee-Anne Pace and Nobuhle Dlamini.

Pace narrowly lost out to Du Toit at the NTT Data Ladies Pro-Am.

One of the most decorated South African golfers, Pace has previously won all the tournaments on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.

She has won the Cape Town Ladies Open on three occasions, the Investec South African Women’s Open five times and is an 11-time winner on the Ladies European Tour.

The 2013 South African Golfer of the Year will be looking for a first win on the Sunshine Ladies Tour since her 2022 Investec South African Women’s Open title.

With a professional career spanning over a decade and eight tournament wins on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, Dlamini is a seasoned golfer.

A winner of the 2019 Order of Merit, Dlamini is one of the most experienced golfers on the circuit.

The eSwatini-born golfer finish tied fourth at the NTT Data Ladies Pro-Am.  Dlamini will be determined to get her first ever Sunshine Ladies Tour victory in Cape Town.

THE HOMETOWN HERO