By Lawrence Trusida Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S premier golf competition, the Zimbabwe Open makes a welcome return next month after a four year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other logistical challenges.
192 golfers will compete for honours in the 2022 FBC Zim Open golf tournament set to be held on two courses for the first time from the 19th to the 22nd of next month.
96 golfers will tee off at Chapman golf club, while the same number will be at Royal Harare on the first day before swapping courses on the second day.
The top 60 golfers will go through to the championship round at Royal Harare for the final two days.
FBC Holdings is now the principal sponsor and has poured 12.5 million Zimbabwe dollars to the cause.
“Our sponsorship echoes our sentiment of wanting to give Zimbabweans an opportunity to participate in things they want to do, we want our athletes to achieve their potentials and we are just giving them an opportunity to do that,” said Webster RusereFBC Holdings Managing Director.
The Zimbabwe Golf Association is excited at the prospect of hosting the tournament once again, saying it is more than a sporting event.
“Zimbabwe Open is just not for golf but it’s brings a lot of business to country, just imagine the number of athletes coming to Zimbabwe and their coaches, the media team, the sports tourism benefits are immense, then on top of that the opportunity for our athletes to compete with the world’s best,” said Zimbabwe Golf Association President Martin Chikwanha.
The tournament is part of the Sunshine Tour and will from next year feed into the DB World Tour.
This is an added incentive for the winners who will automatically be part of the stellar cast of golfers to compete with the world’s best.
Since the start of the open golf tournament, three Zimbabweans in Nick Price, Mark McNulty and Anderson Rusike have bagged honours in the Zimbabwe Open that has attracted world champions such as world number one Vijay Singh, Garrick Higgo and Rory Sabbatini to mention just a few.
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