Mollymook product Kelsey Bennett will be knocking on the door of the top 200 players in the world after recording her best Ladies European Tour finish to date at the Investec SA Women’s Open in South Africa.

Bennett, who started the final day in a tie for eighth, dropped her only shot of the day on the fifth hole, before having three birdies in a row on the back nine.

Tied for eighth a week ago at the Joburg Ladies Open to climb to No.266 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, Bennett finished three shots back of Perrine Delacour in outright third.

That surpasses her tie for seventh at last year’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France and elevates her to 16th on the Order of Merit in her rookie season on the LET.

Making early inroads on the leaderboard with birdies at two and four, Bennett’s Sunday charge hit a hurdle with a bogey on five.

The 25-year-old responded with birdie at the par-5 seventh but it wasn’t until she peeled off three on the trot from the 13th hole that she dared look at the leaderboard.

“I just gave myself plenty of opportunities so I’m glad a few on the back nine dropped,” said Bennett.

“I wasn’t looking at the leaderboard too much until I had three birdies in a row and then said to Michelle [caddie and partner], ‘I need to see.’

“Then that felt pretty good.”

Photo: Tristan Jones/LET

Ladies European Tour
Investec SA Women’s Open
Erinvale Country and Golf Estate, South Africa
1          Perrine Delacour          65-69-70-70—274       €51,000          
3          Kelsey Bennett             69-68-73-67—277       €17,850
T20      Amelia Garvey (NZ)      71-71-71-70—283       €4,246.91
T45      Momoka Kobori (NZ)   69-73-73-72—287       €1,598