Golf News
ZIMBABWE OPEN IS BACK…ROYAL HARARE TO HOST TOURNAMENT IN APRIL 2010
05-Feb-2010
The Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee at the re-launch on 4 February 2010 |
The ZIMBABWE OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT makes a welcome return on the Zimbabwe and Sunshine Tour calendar this year after a nine year absence. The Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament was last run in this country in the year 2001 and had remained suspended since the last tournament because of numerous challenges faced after the general deterioration of the Zimbabwean economy and social environment. The re-launch was conducted on Thursday, 4 February 2010 at Royal Harare Golf Club. The media, sports personalities, golfers, golf club captains and the business community came in droves to witness the event.
The 2010 Zimbabwe Open Tournament will be held at Royal Harare Golf Club during the week commencing Sunday 18 April through to the final day of the tournament on Saturday 24 April 2010. The relevant pre- qualifying games and the traditional pro-am tournaments will be held during this period culminating in the final professional tournament during the last four days of the week.
The Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA), in consultation with the relevant stakeholders including the Zimbabwe Professional Golfers Association (ZPGA), invited various business leaders and sports personalities to form a Committee with a mandate to run the Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament in an efficient and transparent manner that promotes sports business and goodwill amongst all stakeholders. The Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee 2010 (ZOGC) was born just before Christmas in December 2009.
The Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee 2010 (ZOGC) has set itself a target to raise a minimum of USD $250,000 which will cover the minimum Sunshine Tour prize money requirement of ZAR 1 million (R1,000) and other related Sunshine Tour expenses which the Committee undertakes to account for in full. Golfzone understands that the Committee is desirous to ensure that the Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament is re-launched with a big bang and that entails putting together a prize money package that is tweaked above the minimum required by the Sunshine Tour.
The Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee comprises the following:
1. Livingstone T Gwata (Group Chief Executive, FBC Holdings Limited Chairman
2. Albert F. Nhau (Chief Executive Mike Appel Organisation ) Vice Chairman
3. Addington D. Chinake – Lawyer and Senior Partner Kantor & Immerman
4. Dr Patrick Farrell – Medical Professional and President of Royal Harare Golf Club
5. Bekithemba Ndebele Managing Director Truworths Zimbabwe Limited
6. Henry Manzungu- Managing Director Alpha Asset Management and Golf Columnist (Golfzone)
7. Michael Mahachi – Business person and accredited golf referee
8. Cedric Jonker – Business person and experienced Golf administrator
9. Tendai Gwatiringa – Business Executive and Golf, sportsperson
10. Mackenzie – Sports person and golf administrator
11. Ian Matheison – General Manager Royal Harare Golf Club
12. Paulo Moyo – Executive Director AFDIS and sports person
13. Mafingeyi Nyamwanza – Managing Director CIMAS Medical Laboratories and former Captain of Royal Harare Golf Club
14. Joe Sithole – Business person and Secretary General of Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA)
15. Musa Yousof – Business person and regular sponsor of professional golfers
Various sub-committees have been set to ensure smooth running of the Zimbabwe Open. These are; Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Marketing and Publicity Committee and Tournament Committee.
The Zimbabwe Open is a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour. It was first played in 1984 and was part of what was known as the Safari Tour, a collection of events in Africa that were played by professionals based on the European Tour during their winter. As a result, it became an event on the European based Challenge tour in 1991, where it remained for two seasons before moving onto the FNB Summer Tour, which became the Southern Africa Tour and later the Sunshine Tour.
As it was held in the weeks preceding the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the tournament attracted some of the world’s leading players, as they used it as a warm up to the big money invitational. Past winners include major winners Vijay Singh and Nick Price, who along with Mark McNulty is most successful player at the event, both men having recorded three victories.
Since its cancellation prior to the 2002 edition due to economic instability in Zimbabwe leading to the withdrawal of sponsors, there has been many attempts to resurrect the Zimbabwe Open, and this 2010 initiative is the successful one.
Below is the list of winners since 1984;
Year Venue Winner Score
CABS Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open
2001 Chapman Golf Club Darren Fichardt (South Africa) 275 (-13)
2000 Royal Harare Golf Club Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe) 269 (-19)
Zimbabwe Open
1999 Chapman Golf Club Jean Hugo (South Africa) 271 (-17)
1998 Royal Harare Golf Club Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 271 (-17)
1997 Chapman Golf Club Nick Price(Zimbabwe) 269 (-19)
1996 Chapman Golf Club Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe) 270 (-18)
1995 Royal Harare Golf Club Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 266 (-22)
1994 Royal Harare Golf Club Chris Williams (England) 272 (-16)PO
1993 Chapman Golf Club Tony Johnstone (Zimbabwe) 273 (-15)
1992 Royal Harare Golf Club Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe) 272 (-16)
1991 Chapman Golf Club Keith Waters (England) 282 (-6)PO
1990 Chapman Golf Club Grant Turner (England)
1989 Royal Harare Golf Club Vijay Singh (Fiji) 282 (-6)
1988 Chapman Golf Club Roger Chapman (England) 275 (-6)
1987 Royal Harare Golf Club Gordon J. Brand (England) 277 (-11)PO
1986 Stephen Bennett (England)
1985 Royal Harare Golf Club Malcolm MacKenzie (England) 281 (-7)
1984 Anderson Rusike (Am) (Zimbabwe)
The Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee has set itself a target to raise a minimum of USD $250,000 which will cover the minimum Sunshine Tour prize money requirement of ZAR 1 million (R1,000) and other related Sunshine Tour expenses which the Committee undertakes to account for in full. The Committee is desirous to ensure that the Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament is re-launched with a big bang and that entails putting together a prize money package that is tweaked above the minimum required by the Sunshine Tour.
In order to achieve the above objectives the Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee invited sponsors to participate in 3 categories which are described below in general terms. Detailed requirements and written agreements have been formulated and put together by the legal minds within the Committee.
1. TITLE SPONSOR
It is envisaged that the Title Sponsor will be entitled to append their name to the name of tournament e.g The ABCD Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament. A corporate body of this category will be expected to provide cash sponsorship equivalent to the minimum prize money of ZAR1 million (R1,000,000) It is expected that the Title Sponsor will be involved in the Zimbabwe Open at this level for a period of three years the details of which will be availed in the written agreement. In addition the Title Sponsor will have access to all the benefits in the categories listed below.
2. ANCHOR SPONSOR
The Anchor Sponsor will be entitled to the usual mention and exposure through the electronic and print media, designated advertising space on the golf course and a marquee/hospitality tent to exhibit their wares and entertain their clients on the golf course and all the benefits enjoyed by the Key Sponsors. Sponsors in this category are required to pay an upfront cash deposit of USD50,000
3. KEY SPONSORS
Key sponsors will be entitled to advertising exposure through the electronic and print media, advertising on at least one hole on the golf course, and at other designated points, designated playing slots for clients/players during the pro-am tournaments. Sponsors in this category are required to pay an upfront cash deposit of USD20,000.
Whilst the Sunshine Tour has given a firm booking on their calendar, they have understandably demanded that Zimbabwe deposits an amount equivalent to the minimum prize money in an account under their control in South Africa by 28 February 2010. This stems from Zimbabwe’s record as defaulters in respect of settling players’ prize money on time in the 2001.
Various sponsors indicated a very strong interest to bankroll the Zim Open with the ZOGC 2010 Committee settling for an outstanding bid by Africom. This implies that the Zim Open will be known as the Africom Zimbabwe Open for the next three years. The other sponsors in various categories are Econet, Delta and Innscor. South African Airways are the airline partner of the tournament by virtue of the Sunshine Tour stipulations. More sponsors are still to confirm their participation in various forms.
Talking to the Chairman, Livingstone Gwata on the Committee’s objectives, he said “Our major objective as a committee is to discharge our mandate and to ensure that, Zimbabwe as a country and as a sports business and tourist destination, is considered in the most favorable light.
“The Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament will certainly assist in achieving this objective as the Tournament will be beamed across the continent via Supersport and hopefully the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, in keeping with the coverage accorded to tournaments which are sanctioned by the Southern African Sunshine Tour”
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