Rookie star Kaiyuree Moodley sets sights higher after landmark first pro season

A year ago, Kaiyuree Moodley arrived at Fancourt in George, Western Cape, wide-eyed and eager, making her professional debut at one of South Africa’s most prestigious tournaments. Twelve months on, the rookie sensation returns to the NTT DATA Ladies’ Pro-Am as one of the most exciting young talents in the women’s game.

The 2025 R&A Rookie of the Year on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, who took up golf at the age of five after moving from Durban to Johannesburg, has wasted little time in turning promise into performance. 

Moodley finished sixth on the Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit – a remarkable statement of intent from a player still adjusting to life in the paid ranks – and secured her first Sunshine Ladies Tour win at the 2025 Blu Label Unlimited Ladies Challenge at Sun City in October.

“It was a dream to make my professional debut in this event last year, and to play at Fancourt,” Moodley, who turns 25 in April, said this week. “They have fantastic golf courses there. We also get to play with the Sunshine Tour professionals, and that in itself was a learning experience for me. I’m really excited to go back.”

Danielle du Toit won the title after beating Lee-Anne Pace in a playoff. Competing alongside established Sunshine Tour professionals gave Moodley an early taste of the standard required to succeed at the highest level. It also sharpened her ambition. 

“Watching Danielle win it last year and what it did for her career, I remember thinking it would be amazing to win this tournament one day,” she said.

Her rapid rise has not been without its challenges. While she thrived on the domestic circuit, her rookie campaign on the Ladies European Tour tested her resilience. The step up in competition and the demands of international travel provided a steep learning curve. 

But true to the fighting spirit that has already become part of her identity, Moodley dug deep at Q-School late last year to retain her LET status. 

“From turning pro in January to learning what this game truly demands. Two wins in my rookie season, finishing sixth on the Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit, and being named R&A Rookie of the Year –  moments I’ll be grateful for forever,” she wrote in a Facebook post in December.

“It wasn’t all smooth sailing. My rookie season on the Ladies European Tour tested me in ways I didn’t expect, but a couple of weeks ago at Q-School I fought my way through and kept my LET status … So proud of how far I’ve come, and even more excited for what’s ahead.”

That perseverance has underlined a maturity beyond her years – and she teed off Fancourt on Thursday with greater confidence, sharper experience and loftier goals. 

Du Toit is back to defend her NTT DATA Ladies' Pro-Am title, while the vastly experienced Pace, another former winner, will also be part of a quality field.

Sharing the week with the Sunshine Tour’s co-sanctioned men’s event – where Major winner Ernie Els is among the drawcards – only adds to the sense of occasion.

For Moodley, however, the focus is simple: continue the upward trajectory back at the venue where it all began.