Monique Smit (golfer)

{{short description|South African professional golfer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Monique Smit

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|2|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Nelspruit, South Africa

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| height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}

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| nationality = {{ZAF}}

| residence = George, Western Cape, South Africa

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| yearpro = 2012

| retired =

| tour = Ladies European Tour (joined 2012)
Sunshine Ladies Tour (joined 2014)

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| prowins = 4

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| nabisco = DNP

| lpga = DNP

| wusopen = DNP

| wbritopen = CUT: 2020

| evian = DNP

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| award1 = Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit

| year1 = 2020

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}}

Monique Smit (born 26 February 1991) is a South African professional golfer playing on the Ladies European Tour (LET). She was runner-up at the 2020 South African Women's Open and won the 2020 Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit.{{cite web |title=Monique Smit Player Profile |url=https://ladieseuropeantour.com/player-profiles/?player=131583 |publisher=Ladies European Tour |accessdate=17 November 2020}}

Amateur career

Smit had a championship-winning amateur career including four titles on the 2005 Ernie Els Junior Tour and was a two-time Gus Ackermann Champion, in 2010 and 2011.{{cite web |title=5 Amazing South African Female Golfers |url=https://www.inspiringwomen.co.za/5-amazing-south-african-female-golfers/ |publisher=Inspiring Women |accessdate=17 November 2020}} She won the Western Province Stroke Play Championship in 2008 and 2011. She joined the National Team and represented South Africa internationally from the age of 15 including at the 2008 Espirito Santo Trophy{{cite web |title=World Amateur Team Championships - Women's Records |url=https://www.igfgolf.org/watc/womens-records |publisher=International Golf Federation |accessdate=17 November 2020}} and the 2008 All Africa Challenge Trophy, where she was the individual winner. She won titles on three different continents, having triumphed at the Jakarta World Junior Championship and Gosh Leinster Championship in Ireland.

Professional career

Smit turned professional in 2012 and joined the LET. She secured her first professional win on the 2014 Sunshine Ladies Tour, at the Dimension Data Ladies Pro-Am, setting a new course record of 63 at Oubaai Golf Club.{{cite web |title=Smit claims maiden win at DiData Ladies Pro-Am |url=https://letaccess.com/smit-claims-maiden-win-at-didata-ladies-pro-am/ |publisher=LET Access Series |accessdate=17 November 2020}} In 2014, she also won the SuperSport Ladies Challenge and was runner-up at the Zambia Ladies Open. In 2016, she won the Tshwane Ladies Open before an injury caused a four-year lay-off from tour.

Staging a comeback, Smit earned her full Ladies European Tour card for 2020 at qualifying school, winning a four-way playoff for the 20th and last card.{{cite web |title=Monique Smit qualifies for European Ladies Tour Card |url=https://pga.co.za/monique-smit-qualifies-for-european-ladies-tour-card/ |publisher=PGA South Africa |accessdate=17 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Teenager Babnik secures LET card |url=https://www.randa.org/en/news/2020/01/teenager-babnik-secures-let-card |publisher=R & A |accessdate=17 November 2020}} On the 2020 Ladies European Tour, she was runner-up at the Investec South African Women's Open, one stroke behind Alice Hewson who won in her first start as a rookie member of the tour.{{cite web |title=LET Rookie Alice Hewson wins Investec South African Women's Open |url=https://ladieseuropeantour.com/?p=62213 |publisher=Ladies European Tour |accessdate=14 March 2020}}

Smit won the 2020 Joburg Ladies Open{{cite web |title=Smit claims emotional victory in Soweto |url=https://sunshineladiestour.com/smit-claims-emotional-victory-in-soweto/ |publisher=Sunshine Ladies Tour |accessdate=18 November 2020}} and 2020 Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit.{{cite web |title=Where is our next ladies Major winner? |url=https://www.golfrsa.com/where-is-our-next-ladies-major-winner/ |publisher=Golf RSA |accessdate=17 November 2020}}

Amateur wins

2005 Ernie Els Junior Tour
2007 KZN Junior Championship
2008 Western Province Stroke Play Championship, Jakarta World Junior Championship, All Africa Challenge Trophy (Individual)
2010 Gus Ackermann Championship, Gosh Leinster Championship
2011 Gus Ackermann Championship, Guateng Matchplay Championship, Western Province Stroke Play Championship

Source:{{cite web |title=2012 LET Media Guide |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/10316760/2012-let-tour-guide-pdf-ladies-european-tour |publisher=Ladies European Tour |accessdate=17 November 2020}}