Sure she looks great in a swimsuit, but add golf to the list of talents of Miss Colombia, Daniela Lalinde.
Seven years after she last picked up a golf club, Miss Colombia on Friday took on the longest par-three in golf, Legend Golf & Safari Resort Extreme 19th hole in South Africa.
Accessible only by helicopter, the hole itself measures roughly 1300 feet, both horizontally and vertically. With an amazing shot, Lalinde stunned officials and contestants alike, matching scores achieved previously by world-class professionals including Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Trevor Immelman and KJ Choi, according to a release by the golf resort.
Legend Golf & Safari Resort, at the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, has hosted the 112 Miss World contestants. Lalinde’s feat comes ahead of the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 12th of December.
Standing at the tee, perched on the Hanglip mountain, Lalinde was blown away by the amazing view.
“I’ve never seen a golf hole like this, in the world. It’s not just golf – the view is spectacular and it doesn’t just show you the hole. It shows you the whole of Africa,” Lalinde said.
Unfazed by a challenge that presents a daunting tee-shot to a green the shape of the African continent, Lalinde displayed all the skills gathered over years of playing golf as a youngster. In fact, she had a good grounding in the game, playing with the likes of current Colombian professional, Manuel Villegas, the brother of multiple US PGA Tour winner Camilo Villegas.
Lalinde pledged to take on Legend Golf & Safari Resort’s 18-hole signature golf course. But, before that, there was the small matter of playing Legend’s Extreme 19th hole.
The carry to the fairway is 520 feet and Lalinde had little trouble in negotiating that first hurdle, thumping her drive to the edge of the fairway. She then showed a deft touch by chipping onto the huge putting surface and two-putting from 30 feet, for a highly creditable four.
“I’m just so proud to be the first Colombian to play the hole and at the same time to make a four,” Lalinde said about her glorious put.
