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Scott Vincent….a sure bet for the Zone VI Team

TEAM Zimbabwe 2010 has been announced! Yes, the 10-member provisional team for the annual Zone VI tournament has been named with a number of new faces in the team that will once again be spearheaded by Chapman Golf club-based stars. The Zone VI tournament will this year be held in Botswana from 12-16 April with local amateurs also expected to participate in the Botswana Amateur Open that precedes the tournament.

Leading the Zimbabwean squad will be the country's all conquering top amateur, Scott Vincent, who is one of only four survivors from the squad that represented the country with such distinction in last year's home tournament. The other survivors are junior star Clive Nguru (Jr), Roger Jack and Trynos Muradzikwa who is one of two reserves for the tournament.

The other members of the squad are debutants Dale Howie, Greg Bentley, Arthur Mandaza of Warren Hills and Hillside Golf Club's John Sigaba who represents Manicaland province. Seasoned Chapman golfer, Nyasha Muyambo, returns to the team having missed last year's event due to committments in South Africa. Junior national team player, Scott Ferguson also makes the Zone VI squad for the very first time and will be one of two reserve players alongside Muradzikwa.

Missing out on the action this year is the trio of Chenai Mushiri, Mark MacDonald and Nabeel Umerji who have since left the country for overseas bases. David Elijah and Tich Musemburi are ther other golfers that will not be part of the Zone VI team this year. The team will be lead by seasoned golf administrator, Boniface Chigorimbo who will be the team manager with distinguished long-serving coach Roger Baylis retaining his post.

Explaining the selection process for the Zone VI team, Boniface Chigorimbo indicated that only the golfers' positions on the latest Order of Merit were taken into account but did not rule out late changes to the team set-up.

"We selected the team on the basis of the players' ranking on the latest Zimbabwe Golfers Association (ZGA) Order of Merit," said Chigorimbo. "We put Trynos among the reserves because we understand that he has applied to turn professional and might become a professional before the tournament."

"However, changes to the team could still be made since there is still one more major tournament before the Botswana trip - the Mashonaland South Amateur tournament which will be held in March in Kadoma. So we will only finalise the team after that," added Chigorimbo.

Chigorimbo also indicated that Team Zimbabwe will be going into a pre-tournament camp in mid-March to sharpen their skills in the run up to the Zone VI event. The Zimbabwean Zone VI team has always done well in the tournament that is perennially dominated by South Africa, and will this time be hoping to close the gap on their resource-rich Southern neighbours.

And while another victory for South Africa is just about guaranteed given the huge gulf in class between the men from Mzansi and the rest of Africa, Zimbabwe are certain to be engaged in an intense battle for the runners-up position with rivals Kenya, fast improving Swaziland who were fourth last year and hosts Botswana who finished a commendable fifth at Chapman last year. Other countries expected to feature in the Zone VI tournament are Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique.

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