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Scott Vincent………unstoppable at the moment

TEENAGE hotshot Scott Vincent has done it once again! The Chapman youngster was crowned Julius Robinson Trophy champion last Sunday (7 February) after a hard-fought two-shot victory over comeback kid, Dumi Chitengwa, in sunny conditions at Wingate Park Golf Club.

Vincent, who last month won the Dugmore Trophy by a similar margin was in good nick from the onset, posting a first round 1-under-par 71 to lead by two shots from defending champion Trynos Muradzikwa, Zimbabwe junior captain Ray Badenhorst, Chapman star Nyasha Muyambo and Barry Painting going into the final round. However, the real challenge was to come from Chitengwa, who followed up his first round 74 with a tournament-best 3-under-par 69 in the closing round.

In fact, Chitengwa was right on the money with four holes to play but a bogey on the 15th cost him dearly as Vincent, who was in danger of surrendering his long-held lead birdied that same hole to retain his two-shot lead and close out the tournament. In the end, it was Vincent\'s consistency that helped clinch victory, with the Junior Orange Bowl star\'s closing 2-under-par 70 securing him the two-stroke victory on a 3-under-par 141 total.

In the end, Chitengwa, who is living up to his pre-season promise of a sensational comeback year, was the runner-up on a 1-under-par 143 total with Muyambo taking third on 2-over-par 146 after identical rounds of 73. Outgoing champion Muradzikwa took fourth position on 3-over-par 148 after rounds of 73 and 75 with his Royal Harare colleague, K. Basson (75, 74) finishing fifth on 4-over-par 149.

In the team event, Chapman A which was captained by Muyambo and also included Vincent, Roger Jack and Clive Nguru (Jr) emerged victors by just five shots on a 598 total. Royal Harare A were the runners-up on 601. Royal Harare A consisted of Basson, Badenhorst, Kayyam Mandhu and Muradzikwa who recently switched over to the club from cross-town rivals Chapman. Wingate B, which consisted of Collen Matambo, Benjamin Follett-Smith, James Kamalizeni and B. Magaso took third position on 611.

In the teams\' Wingate Trophy in which the teams\' nett scores count, Wingate A were the winners on a total of 602. The team members were R. Vahey, B. Bath (Snr), M. Ruck and Tonderayi Masunga who was also the individual nett winner. Falcon, whose team consisted of Lameck Masendeke, Munetsi Munetsi, former captain Innocent Chisepo and Darrel were the runners-up on a 618 total.

Incidentally, a few milestones were acheived during the Julius Robinson Trophy with the most notable one being the hole-in-one by Francis Chiuta of Claremont on hole number 13. Incidentally, this was also the first time in a while that clubs such as Claremont, Chimanimani and Chinhoyi Country Club had brought teams for the tournament - a vindication of the nationwide golf development programme that the Zimbabwe Golfers Association (ZGA) is undertaking through its various arms.

Credit too, has to be given to Tavenganiswa Mabikacheche, who, through his MARUSP Golf Foundation, was largely responsible for reviving golf at Chimanimani culminating in the club sending a team for the Julius Robinson Trophy.

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