Staff WriterThe Platinum Ladies Open witnessed a masterclass on the greens as South Africa’s Kiera Floyd ignited the course with a nine-birdie blitz and an eagle, carving an 11-under-par 60 final round that sealed her maiden professional win on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Floyd’s front nine of 29 set a breathtaking tone, and a closing nine of 31 on the par-71 Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate transformed the round into the lowest of her burgeoning career—a stunning 15 under par.
England’s Hayley Davis trailed closely behind, finishing on 14 under par with a five-under-par 66 to close her round, while South Africa’s Casandra Alexander secured third place on 12 under par after a final round of 69.
Reflecting on her performance, Floyd was visibly in awe. “I honestly have no words. It doesn’t feel real right now, but I think it is definitely going to kick in later. It’s just amazing.
This is my first victory on tour. I am trying to bring it back to reality. I honestly didn’t realise it today on the golf course either. When I got off after nine and I saw that I shot 29, and I was like…oh, ok.”
The 20-year-old added that her putting played a pivotal role in her victory. “I basically kept the ball in play off the tee and I hit a lot of greens which helped, but my putter was just on today.
Something just kicked in with my putting and I just felt so comfortable over the ball. Everything was good, but the main aspect was my putting.”
Since turning professional in 2023, Floyd has shown a clear preference for longer courses, noting that Blair Atholl suited her style perfectly.
“This course suits my game. I am quite a long hitter so it doesn’t play as long for me but the course set-up was just perfect to my distances the whole day and the whole week, and it was just a pure golf course to play on.
It just suited me. Even during the pro-am I shot five under, so I knew it was out there.”
Paired with the composed Olivia Mehaffey from Northern Ireland during the final round, Floyd relished the exposure to international competition.
“It’s so nice to have all the international players in the field. I played with Olivia Mehaffey today and I learnt so much from her – like how calm she is on the course.
And if the European players make a drop, they just carry on. So, it is very nice and a good experience playing with them. Olivia said I made her round of six under par look terrible today,” laughed Floyd.
Looking ahead, the excitement builds as the Sunshine Ladies Tour heads to the ABSA Ladies Invitational, scheduled from 27-29 March at Royal Johannesburg—a stage set for more thrilling golf and unforgettable moments.
