It was the shortest tournament victory in the career of Marianne Skarpnord. But it was also the toughest.

The Norwegian was declared the winner of the South African Women’s Open on Sunday after yet another brutal day of weather on the South Coast. With only the first round having been completed on Friday before the rain hit, the tournament was always under pressure to beat a freak run of weather.

Saturday’s play was completely washed out. Sunday allowed for a few holes of play before first the rain caused a suspension, and then gale force winds hit the course. At around 16:00, with the forecast for Monday showing equally strong winds, the Ladies European Tour and tournament promoters took the decision to declare the winner based on the first round scores alone.

Skarpnord’s three-under-par 69 was therefore good enough for the win. South Africans Ashleigh Simon and Stacy Bregman, Finland’s Minea Blomqvist, England’s Charley Hull, Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth, America’s Katie Burnett and German Nina Holleder all shared second place on tow-under-par 70.

“It’s not the way we all would have liked to end the tournament, but we all understand how difficult the weather was. It was a very challenging week for everybody,” said Skarpnord.

South Africa’s Kim Williams finished as the leading amateur following her round of level-par 72, earning her the Jackie Mercer Trophy.

Scores:

1               Marianne SKARPNORD              NOR              69

2               Camilla LENNARTH                    SWE             70

                 Stacy Lee BREGMAN                 RSA              70

                 Charley HULL                             ENG              70

                 Katie BURNETT                          USA              70

                 Minea BLOMQVIST                     FIN                70

                 Ashleigh SIMON                         RSA              70

                 Nina HOLLEDER                        GER              70

9               Valentine DERREY                     FRA              71

                 Cathryn BRISTOW                      NZL               71

                 Rebecca HUDSON                     ENG              71

                 Line VEDEL                               DEN              71  

                 Mallory FRAICHE                       USA              71

                 Miriam NAGL                              GER              71

                 Emily TAYLOR                           ENG              71  

16             Nontaya SRISAWANG                THA              72  

                 Sarah KING                                AUS              72  

                 Melissa EATON                          RSA              72

                 Ursula WIKSTROM                     FIN                72

                 Nicola EATON                            RSA              72

                 Becky BREWERTON                  WAL              72

                 Kim WILLIAMS                           RSA              72

                 Trish JOHNSON                         ENG              72

                 Katy MCNICOLL                         SCO              72

                 Lee-Anne PACE                         RSA              72

                 Celine PALOMAR                       FRA              72

27             Holly CLYBURN                         ENG              73

                 Alana VAN GREUNING               RSA              73

                 Florentyna PARKER                   ENG              73

                 Laurette MARITZ                         RSA              73

                 Lucie ANDRE                             FRA              73

                 Kylie WALKER                           SCO              73

                 Melanie MAETZLER                    SUI               73

                 Daniela HOLMQVIST                  SWE             73

                 Nikki CAMPBELL                       AUS              73

                 Georgina SIMPSON                    ENG              73

                 Louise LARSSON                       SWE             73

                 Ji Sun KANG                              KOR              73

                 Marion RICORDEAU                   FRA              73

                 Tania ELOSEGUI                        ESP              73

                 Kaisa RUUTTILA                         FIN                73

                 Monique SMIT                            RSA              73

                 Sophie WALKER                        ENG              73

44             Zuzana KAMASOVA                   SVK              74

                 Joanna KLATTEN                       FRA              74

                 Margherita RIGON                      ITA                74

                 Linda WESSBERG                     SWE             74

                 Titiya PLUCKSATAPORN            THA              74

                 Nikki GARRETT                          AUS              74

                 Danielle MONTGOMERY             ENG              74

                 Sophie GIQUEL-BETTAN            FRA              74

                 Nicole BECKER                         RSA              74

                 Henriette FRYLINCK                   RSA              74

                 Stacey KEATING                        AUS              74

                 Mikaela PARMLID                      SWE             74

56             Malene JORGENSEN                 DEN              75

                 Jade SCHAEFFER                     FRA              75

                 Yu Yang ZHANG                        CHN              75

                 Tandi CUNINGHAM                     RSA              75

                 Michaela FLETCHER                  RSA              75

                 Maha HADDIOUI                        MAR             75

                 Veronica ZORZI                          ITA                75

                 Pamela PRETSWELL                  SCO              75

                 Connie CHEN                             RSA              75

                 Gwladys NOCERA                      FRA              75

                 Magda KRUGER                        RSA              75

                 Bianca THERON                         RSA              75

                 Marjet VAN DER GRAAFF          NED              75