VETERAN South African professional golfer James Kamte and Zambia’s leading professional Madalitso Muthiya are expected to add some international flavour to the third edition of the National Aids Council (NAC) Pro-Am golf tournament, which tees off at Royal Harare Golf Club on Wednesday.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The 54-hole NAC Pro-Am, which is the second biggest professional golf tournament in the country after the Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open, carries a lucrative prize fund of $40 000.
Zimbabwe Professional Golfers’ Association (ZPGA) president Gary Thompson, who was in South Africa last week to explore more ways of creating synergies with their counterparts from south of the Limpopo, said he was pleased with the interest by their regional colleagues to participate in the local tourney.
“Quite a few South Africans have expressed interest and we will get confirmation on Monday [tomorrow]. We have spoken to James Kamte and Thanda Mavundla from South Africa, Zambia’s leading pro Madalitso Muthiya and about five others who are also looking to take part in the tournament, which is a major endorsement of the continued growth of the ZPGA Tour,” Thompson told Standardsport yesterday.
The tournament, which will be played over 54 holes, comes barely a week after the ZPGA successfully hosted the Harare City Council-sponsored Harare Open Championship which was making a return after a three-year- hiatus.
The Harare Open, which had a prize fund of $20 000, was won by rising star Benjamin Follet-Smith with a 36-hole total of three-under-par 141, while leading amateur Jack Allard and upcoming pro Tonderai Masunga settled for a two-way tie for second on two-under.
Incidentally, Follet-Smith is the reigning champion of the NAC Pro-Am after winning last year’s title while Stephen Ferreira won the inaugural edition in 2016.
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Thompson said he was delighted with the commitment shown by their partners such as Harare City Council to promote golf in the country as well as other sporting codes.
“Harare City Council is getting behind bringing the sunshine back to the city. The new theme, It’s time to shine, repositions in perfectly with the environmental focus of improving city life,” he said.
“One way is through golf and all the attributes associated with it, from the development of junior golf through to the ultimate in professional golf tours, golf offers the city a wide array of positive involvement.”
The Harare Open also provided a platform for the local authority to celebrate the Harare City women’s volleyball club, which recently participated at the 2018 Continental Championships held in Cairo, Egypt, in what might have been a first for the nation.
Asked why local golf had taken the position to support their volleyball counterparts, Thompson said: “Our city is big enough for more. Our hearts are wide enough to encompass our own needs as much as beyond us. It’s just an attitude. More importantly, we have absolute ultimate respect for the ladies who perform at the highest level in their sport in Africa. As athletes, we understand the challenges. To prove it, we believe there’s more than enough to go around to help both disciplines. That’s why we stand with our sisters doing great things.”
