Golf’s rising Stars: Zimbabwe Shutt and Bramford make their mark

A week has passed since the Leopard Creek Country Club, nestled in the heart of Mpumalanga, South Africa, became the stage for a groundbreaking moment in golf history with the debut of the Africa Amateur Championship and the Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational.

While Zimbabwean golfers may not have clinched the titles, their presence was felt with remarkable performances that saw two of the nation’s players swing below par.

The event, orchestrated by the R&A, witnessed Mathew Bramford seizing the lead after the first round, but it was Keegan Shutt who stole the spotlight. The young Zimbabwean etched his name into the annals of African golf with a record-breaking performance on one of the continent’s most prestigious courses.

**Keegan Shutt on round four of the Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club**

In an awe-inspiring final round, Shutt shattered records with a 10-under-par 62, a staggering 15-shot leap from his third round. This feat placed him among the best amateur golfers in Zimbabwe and beyond.

His triumph followed South African Christian Maas’s equaling of the previous course record, a 63 shared by luminaries such as Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, Ocky Strydom, and Scott Jamieson.

The golf world buzzed with excitement over Shutt’s final round.

“Words can’t express it. I don’t know how I kept my nerves, especially coming up to the closing holes. I am just really glad that I held it together. This is my best round of golf competitively and a 62 at this amazing course at Leopard Creek tops everything. Before the day, I would never have imagined being in this position. I’m just so happy that I managed to do it,” said Shutt.

Starting from the 10th tee, the 17-year-old showcased a masterful front nine with six birdies, followed by gains on the 11th and 12th holes, and a spectacular eagle on the 15th.

**Keegan Shutt lining up a putt during his record breaking round at Leopard Creek Country Club during the Africa Amateur Championship**

Martin Chikwana, president of the Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA), praised the young golfers, highlighting the abundant talent within the country.

“As ZGA, we provide space and opportunities for these players to showcase their talent and expose it to the rest of the world. The way they played shows that we have some talent and we are so happy for them. For Keegan, he has joined an elite group of golfers who are known worldwide and joining such names speaks of his talent. He has the ability to play beautiful golf and we are also happy with Mathew, he has been there for some time.

“So, for them to shoot under-par scores speaks to what we wish for when we play our local events because under-par scores help you win.

“We are happy as an association and we will continue fulfilling our obligation to unearth talent and expose it to the rest of the world. We will try our best to provide the space so that our golfers get good exposure and play at good levels. These are some of the results,” said Chikwana.–@brandon_malvin