With her mom as her caddie, England’s Thalia Martin did her utmost to maintain her composure during a nerve-wrecking final round and was able to bag her maiden victory in the ABSA Ladies Invitational at Royal Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 March, 2025.
Celebrating her first victory since turning professional in 2021, Martin said that she had high hopes for the future.
“It’s a new experience but hopefully there will be more to come. The first win is always a special one and having my mom on the bag with me makes it even more special. And also having my friends with me on tour to share the moment, is good.”
2025 ABSA Ladies Invitational Champion, Thalia Martin
Martin closed with a one-under-par 71 to claim an emotional victory on 11 under par, paying tribute to her mother and holding back the tears at the thought of her father whom she lost after a long health battle in 2023.
Norway’s Madelene Stavnar double-bogeyed the 18th hole to finish tied second with Anne-Charlotte Mora from France and Scotland’s Laura Beveridge on nine under par.
This week’s ABSA Ladies Invitational produced a number of firsts for Martin who scored her lowest professional round of seven-under-par 65 during the second round after which she led a tournament for the first time in her professional career going into Saturday’s final round.
Martin had a comfortable four-stroke lead over the rest of the field over the closing holes but then bogeyed both the 17th and 18th holes as she battled her nerves.
“I tried to keep everything the same as I have done for the last two days, but I have to admit, nerves did come into play going into hole 16. But I just tried to stick to my gameplan. Sometimes it didn’t work but I am just glad that I kept calm throughout,” she said.
This victory guarantees Martin a place in next week’s Joburg Ladies Open, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. The 72-hole tournament tees off on 3 April at Modderfontein Golf Club with total prize money of close to R6 million.
Absa Ladies Invitational Final Round Scores on Saturday, 29 March, 2025
205 – Thalia Martin (ENG) 69 65 71
207 – Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 70 74 63, Laura Beveridge (SCO) 70 68 69, Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 69 68 70
208 – Casandra Alexander 67 71 70
209 – Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 68 71 70, Tereza Melecka (CZE) 70 69 70
210 – Kiera Floyd 73 71 66, Vidhatri Urs (IND) 71 70 69, Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 69 71 70, Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 72 66 72
211 – Kaiyuree Moodley 71 72 68, Fernanda Lira (MEX) 70 72 69, Romy Meekers (NED) 70 72 69
212 – Kelsey Nicholas 76 67 69, Gabrielle Venter 72 70 70, Mayka Hoogeboom (NED) 70 71 71, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 67 72 73
213 – Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) 72 71 70, Esme Hamilton (ENG) 74 69 70, Karoline Lund (NOR) 70 73 70, Maha Haddioui (MAR) 71 73 69, Hanna Tauber (GER) 73 69 71
214 – Verena Gimmy (GER) 71 74 69, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 70 72 72, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 73 73 68
215 – Harang Lee (ESP) 72 71 72, Celina Sattelkau (GER) 71 71 73, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 68 76 71, Kajal Mistry 72 70 73, Pia Babnik (SVN) 71 69 75, Anais Meyssonnier (FRA) 72 74 69
216 – Symone Henriques 70 73 73, Cara Gorlei 72 72 72, Emma Grechi (FRA) 75 71 70, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 74 72 70, Sofie Bringner (SWE) 74 72 70
218 – Jane Turner (SCO) 68 77 73, Ana Dawson (IMN) 77 69 72
219 – Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL) 72 72 75, Hayley Davis (ENG) 72 74 73, Corinne Viden (SWE) 71 75 73, Nayanika Sanga (IND) 72 74 73
222 – Nadia van der Westhuizen 69 77 76
223 – Charlotte Millard (a) 72 74 77, Rosie Belsham (ENG) 73 73 77
225 – Hannah Karg (GER) 75 69 81, Isabella van Rooyen 73 72 80
227 – Rhea Purvi (IND) 72 73 82
RTD – Nina Pegova (WHT) 74 71 RTD
Second Round Scores on Friday, 28 March, 2025
134 – Thalia Martin (ENG) 69 65
137 – Madelene Stavnar (NOR) 69 68
138 – Carolin Kauffmann (GER) 72 66, Casandra Alexander 67 71, Laura Beveridge (SCO) 70 68
139 – Tereza Melecka (CZE) 70 69, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 68 71, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 67 72
140 – Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) 69 71, Pia Babnik (SVN) 71 69
141 – Mayka Hoogeboom (NED) 70 71, Vidhatri Urs (IND) 71 70
142 – Hanna Tauber (GER) 73 69, Olivia Mehaffey (NIR) 70 72, Gabrielle Venter 72 70, Romy Meekers (NED) 70 72, Fernanda Lira (MEX) 70 72, Kajal Mistry 72 70, Celina Sattelkau (GER) 71 71
143 – Karoline Lund (NOR) 70 73, Harang Lee (ESP) 72 71, Kaiyuree Moodley 71 72, Kelsey Nicholas 76 67, Esme Hamilton (ENG) 74 69, Symone Henriques 70 73, Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) 72 71
144 – Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL) 72 72, Cara Gorlei 72 72, Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA) 70 74, Kiera Floyd 73 71, Alexandra Swayne (ISV) 68 76, Maha Haddioui (MAR) 71 73, Hannah Karg (GER) 75 69
145 – Verena Gimmy (GER) 71 74, Isabella van Rooyen 73 72, Nina Pegova (WHT) 74 71, Rhea Purvi (IND) 72 73, Jane Turner (SCO) 68 77
146 – Emma Grechi (FRA) 75 71, Emie Peronnin (FRA) 74 72, Hayley Davis (ENG) 72 74, Nadia van der Westhuizen 69 77, Charlotte Millard (a) 72 74, Anais Meyssonnier (FRA) 72 74, Ana Dawson (IMN) 77 69, Tiia Koivisto (FIN) 73 73, Rosie Belsham (ENG) 73 73, Corinne Viden (SWE) 71 75, Sofie Bringner (SWE) 74 72, Nayanika Sanga (IND) 72 74
Missed the cut:-
147 – Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) 73 74, Emma Falcher (FRA) 70 77, Demi Flanagan 70 77, Canice Screene (IRL) 71 76, Katherine Hollern (USA) 74 73
148 – Tandi McCallum 73 75, Helen Kreuzer (GER) 74 74, Danielle du Toit 72 76, Pasqualle Coffa (NED) 75 73, Lourenda Steyn (a) 77 71, Bobbi Brown (a) 71 77, Louisa Carlbom (SWE) 74 74, Tvesa Malik (IND) 72 76, Claire Minter (ZIM) 74 74
149 – Hannah Arnold (USA) 73 76, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 75 74, Nikki Hofstede (NED) 74 75, Lora Assad 73 76, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 73 76
150 – Gabriella Cowley (ENG) 73 77, Jess Baker (BRI) 75 75
151 – Michelle Forsland (NOR) 74 77, Olivia Wood (a) 71 80, Selena Costabile (CAN) 75 76, Lenanda van der Watt 76 75, Lindi Coetzee 75 76
152 – Stacy Bregman 76 76, Chante van Zyl 79 73, Bronwyn Doeg 75 77
153 – Chantal Dueringer (AUT) 77 76, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 77 76, Shawnelle de Lange 78 75
154 – Linn Wiberg (SWE) 77 77
155 – Teresa Diez Moliner (ESP) 79 76, Jessica Bailey (ENG) 77 78
156 – Clara Pietri (SUI) 75 81, Vanessa Knecht (SUI) 78 78
157 – Ivanna Samu 77 80, Yolanda Duma 76 81
158 – Judith van der Voort (NED) 79 79
160 – Karishma Govind (IND) 82 78, Ananya Garg (IND) 79 81, Cara Ford 78 82
162 – Leontine Petit (FRA) 80 82
163 – Carey Dodds 83 80, Brittney-Fay Berger 78 85, Kim de Klerk 80 83
171 – Julie Bruyns-Leach 87 84
WDN – Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR) 79 WDN, Michelle Leigh 81 WDN, Paris Hilinski (USA) 79 RTD
First Round Scores on Thursday, 27 March, 2025
67 – Carmen Alonso (ESP), Casandra Alexander
68 – Jane Turner (SCO), Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ), Alexandra Swayne (ISV)
69 – Madelene Stavnar (NOR), Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN), Thalia Martin (ENG), Nadia van der Westhuizen
70 – Mayka Hoogeboom (NED), Laura Beveridge (SCO), Symone Henriques, Tereza Melecka (CZE), Olivia Mehaffey (NIR), Karoline Lund (NOR), Emma Falcher (FRA), Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA), Romy Meekers (NED), Demi Flanagan, Fernanda Lira (MEX)
71 – Bobbi Brown (a), Olivia Wood (a), Canice Screene (IRL), Corinne Viden (SWE), Pia Babnik (SVN), Maha Haddioui (MAR), Vidhatri Urs (IND), Celina Sattelkau (GER), Verena Gimmy (GER), Kaiyuree Moodley
72 – Rhea Purvi (IND), Charlotte Millard (a), Anais Meyssonnier (FRA), Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP), Tvesa Malik (IND), Nayanika Sanga (IND), Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL), Cara Gorlei, Carolin Kauffmann (GER), Gabrielle Venter, Harang Lee (ESP), Hayley Davis (ENG), Danielle du Toit, Kajal Mistry
73 – Tiia Koivisto (FIN), Marianne Skarpnord (NOR), Rosie Belsham (ENG), Hannah Arnold (USA), Bonita Bredenhann (NAM), Hanna Tauber (GER), Tandi McCallum, Gabriella Cowley (ENG), Lora Assad, Kiera Floyd, Isabella van Rooyen
74 – Esme Hamilton (ENG), Louisa Carlbom (SWE), Katherine Hollern (USA), Sofie Bringner (SWE), Claire Minter (ZIM), Michelle Forsland (NOR), Nikki Hofstede (NED), Helen Kreuzer (GER), Emie Peronnin (FRA), Nina Pegova (WHT)
75 – Jess Baker (BRI), Selena Costabile (CAN), Bronwyn Doeg, Lindi Coetzee, Hannah Karg (GER), Clara Pietri (SUI), Florentyna Parker (ENG), Emma Grechi (FRA), Pasqualle Coffa (NED)
76 – Kelsey Nicholas, Yolanda Duma, Lenanda van der Watt, Stacy Bregman
77 – Lourenda Steyn (a), Lauren Taylor (ENG), Jessica Bailey (ENG), Ana Dawson (IMN), Linn Wiberg (SWE), Chantal Dueringer (AUT), Ivanna Samu
78 – Brittney-Fay Berger, Cara Ford, Shawnelle de Lange, Vanessa Knecht (SUI)
79 – Chante van Zyl, Paris Hilinski (USA), Ananya Garg (IND), Judith van der Voort (NED), Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR), Teresa Diez Moliner (ESP)
80 – Kim de Klerk, Leontine Petit (FRA)
81 – Michelle Leigh
82 – Karishma Govind (IND)
83 – Carey Dodds
87 – Julie Bruyns-Leach
Original Copy: Sunshine Ladies Tour, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: England’s Thalia Martin followed a career-low second round with a … final round to win her maiden pro title, the Absa Ladies Invitational at Royal Johannesburg in Gauteng, on Saturday, 29 March, 2025. All Photos: Sunshine Ladies Tour
Photo 2 Caption: France’s Anne-Charlotte Mora carded the final round’s low score of 63 for a share of second with Laura Beveridge and Madelene Stavnar.
Photo 3 Caption: Casandra Alexander carded for 208 as the best South African finisher, to finish three shots behind Martin.
