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Priceless moment…….Zimbabwe Open Committee members pose with the 2010 Africom Zimbabwe Open Champion, Jbe’ Kruger and Africom CEO, Kwanayi Kashangura and Royal Harare Captain Andrew Pasipanodya after prize giving.

LOCAL golf was in the spotlight late last month as the Sunshine Tour golfing spectacle made a grand return to the local scene with the hosting of the Africom Zimbabwe Open.

In what was a historic tournament – the first Zimbabwe Open since the 2001 edition, Africom, the title sponsors as well as the other principal sponsors that included leading mobile network Econet Wireless, diversified concern Innscor Africa Limited, Zimplats, Pilsener and top airliner South African Airlines (SAA) came to the fore to help put together what turned out to be a classy event that brought the country back into the golfing limelight. As one observer noted, the tournament was probably the best diplomatic event the country has held in recent times.

For that one week (19-24 April), Zimbabwe held the entire region, if not the world, spellbound with its meticulously well-organised tournament and elegant course at one of the country’s oldest golf clubs – the 112-year old Royal Harare Golf Club next door to the country’s premier cricket venue, Harare Sports Club. And in line with the club’s aristocratic ethos, the Royal Hararians gave their diversified guests the royal treatment, delivering top class service at every turn.

The golfers too, played like men pursuing royalty – knighthood their ultimate goal. In the end though, only 67 of the ambitious 144 men went the distance, but there was only one man to be knighted - South African star and tournament top seed, Jbe Kruger. The “little man” form Mzansi wiped out a three-shot deficit in the final round to win the tournament by two shots form fellow South African Jaco van Zyl.

For our own potential knight – Marc Cayeux, it was a case of what might have been – the big man setting the tournament alight in the first two rounds along with South African youngsters Eugen Marugi and Anthony Michael. The little known Michael actually bettered Cayeux and Marugi’s opening round 64s with a sensational 62 in the second round.

Cayeux, however, should have wrapped up this tournament in round two – his 67 could have easily been a 61 as the aggressive golfer made six bogeys against nine-birdies and an eagle in a topsy-turvy round. It was breathtaking, hearts-in-mouths action. Perhaps he had tried too hard, and even though he trailed Michael by two shots going into the final two rounds, he was still going for it. “All I can do is try,” Cayeux told local old boy Tim Price after that epic second round. And try he did, but the shots just did not come off in those tense last 36 holes – Cayeux and Michael failing to pull away from the chasing pack as the physical and psychological strain began to take their toll.

That allowed the trailing group, led by van Zyl and Kruger, to make ground. Indeed, Kruger and van Zyl seemed to have borrowed a few tricks from our own “V6” – Vengesayi Phiri – nicknamed thus due to his penchant for coming behind to breeze away with titles in typical V6 engine style. The South African duo went on an inspired final round rally, van Zyl finishing first on a 17-under 271 total while Kruger, who was two groups behind, sank late birdies to edge into a two-shot lead and win with a 19-under 269 total. Knighthood went to Kruger.

But for their valiant efforts, the men who lost out to Kruger should have been given royal honours too. If this was 19th century Mexico, they would have been made dons. Thus we would have Don van Zyl, Don Cayeux, Don Fisher Jr, Don Curlewis, Don Michael and Don Spangenberg………but hang on…how about Don Charamba or Don Mketekete? Read on…

Though the South Africans ultimately dominated proceedings, the performances of our locals has to be commended – eight of them including one amateur – making the cut and three – Cayeux, Ryan Cairns and Ignatius Mketekete pushing the Jozi boys all the way . The three were easily Zimbabwe’s standout golfers. And while Cayeux was always fancied to fare well, given his wealth of Sunshine Tour experience spanning nearly 14 years; it was the relatively inexperienced Mketekete who caught the eye. Mketekete recorded consistently good round of golf and were it not for his not-so-brilliant putting, he could have seriously challenged for the title.

Prior to the tournament, Mketekete told Golfzone that despite not having made his presence felt on Tour yet, he saw himself going all the way in the near future.

“Whenever I enter a tournament, I see myself winning. It’s just that I have not had that break yet, but sooner or later I will breakthrough,” Mketekete said.

And come the Africom Zimbabwe Open, Mketekete proved that his words were no glib talk – his 10-under 278 total proving that this guy can compete with the best in the region. He could yet take the Sunshine Tour by storm and become Zimbabwe’s top gun.

For upcoming professional golfer, Brian Gondo, the tournament marked his first steps towards a successful future. The former national amateur team skipper came into the tournament with one goal in mind – to make the cut. That he did, goal attained.

“When I came into this tournament, my aim was to make the cut,” Gondo said. “I managed to do that and for me, to have managed to play through the 72 holes was a great thing. Personally, this tournament was a success. Now I hope I can go on and do well this year, get my tour card and go forward.”

Newly turned professional Trainos “Sergio” Muradzikwa felt the tournament was an important learning curve for him even though he was one of the locals who missed the cut. In all, seventeen local professionals failed to make the cut - Shane Pringle, Simon Katembenuka, Day Muyambo, Mike Williams, Mohammad Mandhu, Sean Farrell, Vengesayi Phiri, Mike Curtis, Mike Baylis, Julius Kamalizeni, Mairosi Katembenuka, Stuart Stovold, Akil Yousuf, Ryan Lang, Tony Johnstone and Byran Rocher.

“I think it was a great thing that we (local professionals) had a chance to play with international players. For me, this tournament was a good experience from which I will draw many lessons for the future,” Muradzikwa said.

Home favourite, Tongo Charamba who eventually finished 39th admitted that he was below par in the Africom Zimbabwe Open but refused to blame the pressure brought about by the high expectations form the local golfing fraternity.

“I was actually excited about it (the tournament) just like the rest of the public were but somehow I just got tense about the whole thing and my shots just did not come off,” Charamba said. “When you go out to play, you always aim to do well but everyday has got its own challenges. It’s just unfortunate that it happened to me on the first two days of the tournament.”

Life can be fun and funny, one might say. Diminutive Zimbabwe Professional golfers Association (ZPGA) president Akil Yousuf had a rather peculiar tournament, playing badly in the first two rounds to miss the cut before a remarkably good performance on the final day when he was playing as a marker – shooting a 71. Reflecting on his performance, Yousuf had this to say:

“I didn’t play as well as I would have liked , but hey, these things happen. Today (Sunday) I had an absolutely great round and finished one-under when I was playing as Brian’s (Gondo) marker. It’s a pity I didn’t do as well when I was still in the tournament.”

One observer joked with Yousuf, “You (Yousuf) seem to play well when there is no prize money, maybe they should make it a condition that whenever you play you won’t be eligible for any prize money!” To which Yousuf playfully responded, “Yeah, maybe they should do that all the time!”

Indeed, the sparring between Yousuf and the observer may have been one of the many light-hearted moments of the tournament , but brings forth one critical aspect of the game – dealing with pressure. Players’ inability to deal with high pressure situations seems inherent in our local game, both in the professional and amateur ranks.

The majority of our professionals struggle to shoot under-par scores in major tournaments and in most of the local amateur tournaments, players rarely win with under-par totals. Yet these are the same guys who play off scratch or better and regularly card scores in the sixties during practice rounds. It just does not add up but then again that’s GOLF for you!

It is a subject that has been discussed before without much action being taken to address it, but now is the time for local golf stakeholders to take action and take this 19th hole talk onto the golf course. It is time we employed sports psychologists to toughen up our players’ mentality, dieticians to help with a sportsman’s diet, and physical fitness specialists need to step up and craft programmes that will help our sportsmen. Zimbabwe needs a breed of players who can take that practice-ground form into the tournament and have nerves of steel to stand the heat when the real competition starts.

In any sporting discipline, ability alone does not get anyone anywhere. It is those who are fit and that can hold their nerve when the going gets tough who excel. The hope is that in the not-so-distant future, local golfers will be those steely individuals. The time has come for local golf to step up from mediocrity. I have a dream…………watch this space!

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