Staff WriterPia Babnik made the South African Women’s Open look suspiciously straightforward on Friday, which is usually the first sign that a golfer is either in full control or due a stern conversation with the golfing gods. At Royal Cape Golf Club, under blue skies and with the wind seemingly off-duty, the Slovenian produced a second-round 67 to move to 14 under par and open up a three-shot lead heading into the weekend.
It was not flawless. It was better than that. Flawless rounds can look sterile. Babnik’s had texture, movement, a few bruises, and then a finishing kick sharp enough to wake up the leaderboard.
Babnik Finds Another Gear At Royal Cape
Royal Cape offered the sort of Cape Town afternoon tourism boards dream about and golfers distrust. No wind. Warm light. Blue sky. A course sitting there looking inviting, while quietly waiting to punish anyone who got casual.
Babnik did not get casual.
She birdied three of the final four holes on both nines, turning a very good round into one that left the rest of the field squinting up at her name. A 67, built with aggression and tidy recovery, carried her to 14 under par overall in the Investec South African Women’s Open.
“I played really well again today. I made even more birdies than in my first round, but I did make three bogeys, which is fine because that happens. So overall I’m really happy with my performance today,” said Babnik.
That line — “which is fine because that happens” — tells you plenty. There was no panic in the bogeys, no frantic tinkering, no theatrical post-shot self-analysis. Just a player accepting the odd scratch on the paintwork while driving beautifully down the road.
Gainer Leads The Chase After Strong Finish
England’s Cara Gainer sits nearest to Babnik on 11 under par after a second-round 68 that had its own late bite. Three birdies over the closing five holes gave her round a proper backbone and kept the leader within sight.
Gainer’s afternoon was not a soft stroll either. The pins were less charitable, the greens firmer, and Royal Cape had begun to ask sterner questions. This was not Thursday’s birdie buffet. It was a more exacting examination.
“The greens definitely firmed up and the pins were in tough positions, so I didn’t think the scores were going to be as low as the first round. I thought if I could get to three or four under I’d definitely be there or thereabouts. But I’m just enjoying it out there in the lovely weather. It’s nice to feel like you can just relax and let the golf do the talking.”
Gainer did exactly that. No fuss, no elbows out, just clean golf and enough momentum to make Saturday interesting.
Hamilton Holds Third As Weekend Picture Sharpens
England’s Esme Hamilton remains firmly in the conversation after a 70 moved her to 10 under par, four shots off the lead. It is the kind of position that does not grab the trophy by Friday evening but keeps a player close enough to make the leader sleep lightly.
Behind the front three, the South African challenge is led by Caitlyn Macnab and amateur Lisa Coetzer, both sitting at five under par. For Coetzer, in particular, that is a performance with real substance. Amateur appearances on leaderboards can sometimes feel like charming cameos. This one has lasted long enough to become a storyline.
Casandra Alexander, meanwhile, fought hard to remain part of the weekend picture but missed the cut after a second-round 75. It was a bruising outcome for one of the home hopes, particularly on a day when the scoring chances were there but far from automatic.
Babnik Embraces The Lead
Babnik’s last victory on the Ladies European Tour came in 2021, which makes this position feel more meaningful than merely sitting top after 36 holes. She is not just in contention. She is leading, and she sounds as though she rather likes the view.
“I’m just trying to enjoy it. It’s so much fun playing here on this beautiful course in nice weather. That’s the most important thing,” she said.
That may sound simple, but tournament golf has a wonderful habit of turning simple into complicated by Saturday lunchtime. Enjoyment is easy when putts fall and the air is still. It becomes rather more difficult when the pins are tucked behind bunkers and the leaderboard starts breathing down your collar.
Still, Babnik has the look of a player comfortable with the responsibility.
“I like leading. This is what I work for so I’m really excited to be where I am on the leaderboard. It’s so much hard work but it always pays off. I’m really trying to keep on working hard and putting in a lot of hours, and it’s so nice to see the results coming together.”
Royal Cape Sets Up A Proper Weekend Test
The South African Women’s Open now has a clear shape. Babnik is the player to catch. Gainer is close enough to apply pressure. Hamilton is close enough to punish hesitation. And the course, which looked gentle in the morning glow, has already shown signs of hardening into something more awkward.
That is where this championship gets interesting.
Royal Cape is not a brute, but it is not a doormat either. When the greens firm up and the pins move into less generous corners, it asks for precision rather than optimism. The players who can flight wedges, control spin, and stay patient when the birdies briefly disappear will be the ones still standing late on Sunday.
For Babnik, the mission is clear: keep doing what she has done so well across the opening two rounds. For everyone else, the calculation is equally plain. The leader is three ahead, confident, and making birdies in bunches.
The weekend at the South African Women’s Open has its frontrunner. Now we find out whether the chase has teeth.
