Kylie Henry lands first win in nearly a decade with South African success

Experienced Scot delighted to taste victory after after ‘really tough last couple of seasons’

Kylie Henry shows off the trophy after her two-shot victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt.

Kylie Henry landed her first win in nearly a decade after coming from two shots behind heading into the final round to come out on top in the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am in South Africa.

The 37-year-old followed opening efforts of 72 and 70 with a closing 71 on the Montague course at Fancourt in the Western Cape to win by two shots from home player Lee-Anne Pace (74-69-72).

It was Henry’s first victory since landing the second of two LET title triumphs in 2014, when she added the Ladies German Open to a breakthrough success in the Deloitte Ladies Open two months earlier.

“It means so much to me,” she admitted. “I have been playing for a long time, this is my 15th season on tour. But the last couple of seasons have been really tough. I broke my elbow and then last year was just very difficult for me personally and my golf suffered as a result. To get my golf game back makes me so happy.”

On a day when crosswinds made it a tough test, Henry was out in 37, one over, before a string of six successive pars after the turn saw her claim a share of the lead with Ana Dawson as the Isle of Man player attempted to pull off a wire-to-wire win. As Dawson, feeling the pressure, missed some crucial putts, Henry pounced with key birdies on the par-4 16th and 18th holes.

“It was tricky out there today,” said the Scot, who is managed by Paul Lawrie, who won the men’s equivalent in 2017. “There were a lot of crosswinds on the back nine, and I knew I just had to commit to my shots. I managed to keep doing that and I sank some good putts as well.”

It was a second Scottish success on South African soil in just over a week after Blairgowrie’s Gregor Graham was crowned as South African Amateur champion at Royal Johannesburg.

Frenchmen David Ravetto won the men’s Dimension Data Pro Am at the same venue after also finishing two shots clear of the field, with Craig Howie and Daniel Young ending up joint-40th and tied for 53rd respectively.