Casandra Alexander Leads Rain-Hit Joburg Ladies Open as Round Two Suspended

At the Joburg Ladies Open, the skies at Modderfontein Golf Club had other plans for South Africa’s Casandra Alexander.

Just as she seized the early lead, another heavy downpour forced officials to suspend the second round, turning the course into a veritable swimming pool.

The drama began when the suspended first round was completed on Friday morning, leaving Alexander just one shot behind England’s Mimi Rhodes.

Not one to let the weather steal her thunder, Alexander ignited her second round with birdies at the first and third holes—propelling her to an impressive nine under par and a slender one-stroke advantage over Rhodes.

Yet, the elements were relentless. More rain transformed the course into a waterlogged challenge, and play will now resume on Saturday at 08:00, with 80 of the 132 golfers still out battling the elements.

The third round is slated to tee off an hour after the second round wraps up, keeping everyone on their toes.

Throughout this soggy saga, Alexander has displayed remarkable composure, forging ahead in her quest for a maiden Ladies European Tour title while carrying the hopes of her nation.

Iceland’s Alexandra Swayne also made the most of Friday’s conditions, climbing to five under par overall with three holes still to play.

France’s Agathe Laisne, meanwhile, recorded a sublime six-under-par 67 to lift her overall score to two under.

She noted, “It rains a lot in France so I’m used to these conditions. I like it. It’s different. I also made a lot of putts and hit 17 greens in regulation which helped.”

For many of the competitors, however, the damp weather was more foe than friend.

South Africa’s Danielle du Toit summed it up well: “There’s two aspects to playing in weather like this.

The first is how the rain affects the flight of your golf ball and things like how your ball rolls on the greens. You never have a constant speed on the greens. Then you have the challenge of keeping everything dry.

It’s a logistical nightmare for a golfer and caddie.” Du Toit, navigating the wet woes, finds herself three over par through two holes of her second round.

As the Joburg Ladies Open unfolds under an unpredictable sky, the players continue to battle not only for victory but against a weather system that refuses to follow the script.