R1.1m Zambia Open golf tourney on

THE crème de la crème of Zambia’s golfers today join a horde of world-class golfers as the 1.1 million Rand-rich 2012 Indo-Zambia Bank sponsored-Zambia Golf Open proper tees-off at the traditional Lusaka Golf Club after a seven year-absence.
But the Zambian contingent led by United States based golfer Madalisto Muthiya need to be at their best to fend off competition from 2011 champion Doug McGuigen and past winners Steve Basson and Desvonde Botes, who are leading a strong field of 98 South Africans heading to Lusaka for the event that was preceded by two Pro-Ams (professionals versus amateurs).
McGuigen won last year’s event held at Nchanga Golf Club with a score of 272 with Basson winning the Zambia Open on back-to-back occasions in 2006 at Nchanga and in 2007 at Ndola.
Pressure will be expected on the Zambian golfers to break the jinx of losing at home soil and lay their hands on the R1.1 million (about K715 million) rich-event that has over the past years eluded the local golfers since inception in 1972.
The winner stands to pocket R190, 000 with the runner-up getting R138, 000 and the third placed is expected to pocket R83, 040 going down to R3,000 for the golfer to finish 65th. The first professional to record a Hole-in-One during the tournament round will win a Jeep Wrangler worth US$ 65,000.
Adilson Da Silva, who won at the Ndola Golf Club in 2010 with a score 202, and Tyrone Ferriera, winner of the 2008 event held at the Chainama Hills Golf Club, withdrew from the event.
This year’s event has attracted Zambia’s best local and professional golfers among them Muthiya, who will be taking his second chance at the Zambia Open crown, after a close shave at Nchanga in 2006 when he emerged runner-up to South African Basson, who amassed 207 points.
Muthiya will be closely checked by countrymen Patrick Mwendapole, Kangwine Chiluba, Beza Daka, Vincent Kabaso Kelvin, Kelvin Phiri, Obed Sholoma, Muhammed Zulu, Stephen Mbewe, Bruce Chanda and Dwayne Moore.
Other locals expected to give the foreign professionals that have been lined up by the Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) a test are amateur golfers Kevin Cummings, Ntengwa Mukosa, Raj Sharma, Fred Ndhlovu, Kelly Munkombwe, Denmark Mulambo, Brice Tristan and the only female participant, Melissa Nawa.
Muthiya said in an interview, he was confident of a good finish and expressed confidence that a Zambian would one day win the event but that would depend on how much one has participated in international competitions other than the Zambian Open.
“We have good golfers who can win this event but they need to be participating in many competitions unlike always waiting for the Zambia Open; that always puts pressure on us. I had a feel of the course and it is in good shape and I am confident of a good finish,” he said.
Basson said winning this year’s event will largely depend on experience because of the golf course and the dry conditions which would make playing difficult.
He said in an interview after playing in the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Pro-Am yesterday that experience would be important towards winning the championships going by the way the golf course, which last hosted the event seven years ago, is playing.
Basson said conditions were good for the competition but that the course would favour the experienced golfers because of some obstacles that go with the Lusaka golf course.
Acting Republican President, Alexander Chikwanda was among the golfers that took to the course during the KCM-sponsored Pro-Am.
Meanwhile, Kaela Mulenga won the longest drive in the women’s category with Craig Meerholz winning the men’s event during the KCM-sponsored Pro-Am on Tuesday.
Matthew Nkhuwa managed a hole-in-one and also won the nearest-to-the-pin with Chola Oka getting the women’s version.
The team of Shaun Norris, Joel Chitambala, Miles Sampa and Caleb Mulenga emerged winners of the KCM Pro-Am after grossing 89 on a count-back with the team of Ignatius Metekete, Christopher Mulenga, Brian Chisegalumbwe and P.K Ndholvu finishing second with 89 points. In third position was Andrew Geogiou, Suhali Vally, Moses Tembo and Karen Khetan.
Other prominent names that participated in the event included acting Republican President, Chikwanda and Zambia Revenue Authority Commissioner General Berlin Msiska among others.
By press time results of the Airtel-sponsored Pro-Am had not yet been announced.

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