Staff WriterAt the Platinum Ladies Open, Casandra Alexander decided to break tradition in more ways than one—swapping her usual white golf ball for a splashy pink version proved to be a masterstroke.
In an event where every stroke counts, the multi-tournament winner transformed her game at the par-71 Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate course on Thursday.
Alexander’s round was nothing short of a revelation. After a slow start, her change of ball seemed to unlock a hidden reservoir of confidence and precision.
With a second consecutive five-under-par 66, she surged to a tournament-leading 10 under par—dropping only one shot in that round.
Heading into Friday’s final round, she holds a slender one-shot lead over South Africa’s Tandi McCallum and England’s Hayley Davis.
“I had a really slow start to the front nine. I started with a drop and then made a hallelujah putt on the par-five fifth to bring it back.
I then made a bunch of pars in a row and said to my caddie, let’s change our ball to a different colour – a little bit of superstition going on there, I guess.
Maybe there are some birdies in my pink ball and yes, things started getting going from there. I started firing through the back nine after a very long and boring front nine,” she said.
It wasn’t just a lucky charm, though. Alexander has enjoyed a stellar season on the Sunshine Ladies Tour—claiming victory at the Jabra Ladies Classic in February and recording top-three finishes at both the Standard Bank Ladies Open and the SuperSport Ladies Challenge.
Her ability to adapt, even when facing courses that don’t naturally suit her style, has been a major talking point this season.
“I think generally as a team we’ve made some good improvements to be able to play courses that don’t suit me and to get the ball in the hole no matter what the situation.
“Today my back was a little sore, so I knew I was going to have to manage how I play. I wasn’t going to hit them as close, and I was working with that, so I think just identifying when we are not in the firing zone or the golf course doesn’t suit us and how we manage that – my team and I have done a great job with that.”
Not to be overlooked, Tandi McCallum maintained a solid performance in her second round, posting a four-under-par 67 to finish at nine under par overall.
With the final round looming, the stage is set for an intriguing conclusion to a tournament that has already delivered moments of unexpected brilliance and strategic innovation.
