TANZANIAN top golfer Madina Iddi amended her first round mistakes to recover in the second round of the South Africa Stroke- Play Championship at Royal Johannesburg in South Africa on Monday.
Organised by the Women Golf South Africa (WSGA), the 54- hole tournament that teed off on Sunday winds up today with four East African ladies including Madina among the top contenders.
Also in the list are Ugandan top national team members Irene Nakalembe and the winner of Tanzania Ladies Open, Peace Kabasweka, while Wendy Angudeyo who recently conquered Indian Ocean Cup in Zanzibar, competes in a silver division as the event special for golfers with below 6 handicap.
Iddi, who arrived Johannesburg last Friday ready for the Sunday tee off, recovered to post 77 strokes that far improved the 83 strokes she carded in the first.
She has now posted 16 over par 160 aggregate strokes at 34th position with two hosts in the field of over 70 golfers from Reunion, Uganda, Tanzania and hosts South African.
“It is nice to be at the Royal Johannesburg course, it is one of the most beautiful course and tough to play too. It is different to the kind of courses we have in Tanzania.
“As usual I hit balls very well, am always in the middle of fairways, but the biggest challenge I face is its greens, I cannot putt well. Three puts at each holes cannot do good to any golfer,” she explained.
Madina who plays off handicap 2, said she will keep going and improving before heading to Kensington Golf Club for the Matchplay Golf tournament that will tee off from 19-21 February.
The defending champion of the All Africa Golf Challenge Trophy (AACT) at the individual level, said she understands that South Africa has a number of quality golfers and most of them play from plus handicaps and also have home course advantage.
Kabasweka who had 79 gross on Sunday, struggled to gross 83 strokes in the second day to drop to the 38th position. Nakalembe who has aggregate 26-over 170 (86,84) are placed 45th and Angudeyo has 42 aggregate and is placed 11th in the field of 18 silver division battle.
Hosts dominate the leaderboard with Kaylah Williams leading by a shot with aggregate 4-under, Larissa du Preez and Caitlyn Macnab tied at second with 3-under, Nadia van der Westhuizen has 1-under 4th and at 5th is Gabrielle V enter with 1-over
