'She just wouldn't quit' - Lorna McClymont praised for gutsy South African display

In a thrilling last-day battle in the Sunshine Ladies Tour event at Westlake Golf Club in Cape Town, McClymont had closed a three-shot overnight lead to just one at the turn after going out in three-under-par.

Alexander, who’d already landed the title in 2023, then birdied the par-4 12th before discovering that her title rival on this occasion wasn’t going to give up without a fight as McClymont chipped in for an eagle at the next hole.

Crucially, Alexander made a birdie there out of a bunker before also picking up further shots at the 16th and 17th as she eventually came out on top by four shots with an impressive 14-under-total over 54 holes.

“The back nine I knew I had to fire because Lorna was coming in hot,” admitted the double champion. “She definitely wasn’t giving up - she just wouldn’t quit!”

Underlining how well she had played, having made her move with three birdies in five holes just before the turn, McClymont’s closing four-under-par 68 left her four shots ahead of the player in third place.

“Yeah, definitely,” the Milngavie member replied to being asked how she felt. “I am pretty chuffed with that. I played well in the first round and kept it going from there and each day was a lot of fun, so I am very happy.”

Rightly so and, on this evidence, it might not be long before the University of Stirling graduate goes one better. “I was really good mentally,” she added of her closing salvo. “I kept myself in the moment and kept enjoying every shot rather than thinking about things too much.”

McClymont, who turned professional after securing a category for the Ladies European Tour through the Qualifying School in December, has hit the ground running in her new working environment.

In the strongest field she’s faced so far, she finished joint-42nd in the Lalla Meryem Cup, the LET’s season-opener, in Morocco, before recording a top-20 finish in the Standard Bank Ladies Open in her first outing on the South African circuit. This effort was worth just under £5,000.

“Yeah, I went in with no expectations and it’s been a bit of both - kind of what I had expected and exceeding expectations as well,” she admitted. “It’s a lot of fun and everyone out here is so nice.”

The Scot is staying in South Africa for the next two events on the Sunshine Ladies Tour - the SunSport Ladies Challenge at Sun City then the Platinum Ladies Open at Blair Atholl Estate.

Whether or not she also gets to tee up in a double-header thereafter in the Rainbow Nation on the LET - the Joburg Ladies Open and Investec South African Women’s Open - will depend where her category leaves her on the entry list. “I’d love to,” admitted McClymont of those bigger-money events, “but we’ll need to wait and see how I get on.”

Kylie Henry, last year’s NTT Data Pro-Am winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, finished joint-seventh behind Alexander after a closing 73, with Jane Turner ending up 39th after a last-day 78.