How Tanaka Chatora became one of the best amateur golfers in the country at 17

AT 17, Tanaka Chatora is a golf sensation who has made a name for himself in the sport. He is one of the best amateur players in the country and a marvel to watch on the course. He has a bright future and he is not slowing down.

He started the year 2024 with a bang, winning the season opener at Bulawayo Golf Club; the Dugmore tournament last week. He was the only golfer to shoot an under-par score in a field of 40 players. He beat the second-placed Keagan Shutt by eight shots, with a two-under-par 214 gross.

But this was not his first victory. He has been winning tournaments, both locally and internationally, since he broke into the local golf scene. He credits his father for introducing him to the game at a young age and his parents for supporting him throughout his journey.

“It was my dad who brought me into the game, I started playing golf when I was about eight or nine years old and since then I have fallen in love with the game. I played other sports earlier but I think around 12 or 13 years, that’s when I started taking it a bit seriously and since then I have really enjoyed playing golf,” he said.

One of his most impressive wins was the inaugural NCBA Kenya Invitational Junior Tournament, which he won at the end of last year. He dominated the boys’ 15-18 age group category, playing at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club. He also won the Roland Park Open in August last year, after winning in the Midlands province in June.

“There is no secret behind my success, you just have to play and practice as much as you can, get used to these different type of courses especially for amateur tournaments, you don’t play Royal Harare or Brooke all the time; maybe once in a calendar year is when we play in those really pristine courses and I think playing out here also helps you understand how to score and I think that really contributed to my success as an amateur.

“In terms of international wins, I think when I won in Kenya late last year — it was my biggest success so far — I came first in that tournament, I think that was my biggest achievement so far.”

Chatora is a student at the Heritage School, and he balances his passion for golf with his academics. He has his eyes set on turning pro in the next few years, but he wants to finish his degree first. He loves both golf and learning, and he is determined to excel in both.

“I want to be turning pro in the future but then that goes quite far ahead of me from now until by the time I turn pro. I still want to go to college and get maybe a degree and then after that I can pursue my golfing career at a more professional stage.

“I bring my books with me when I play these tournaments and when I finish, usually on Saturdays that’s when I need to read a bit and get some school work done. After this (Dugmore) I also have to get some school work done when I get to the hotel, that is how I balance things, you have to have the discipline to do the work after your rounds, I know it will be tiring but it has to be done,” he said.

Chatora has also represented Zimbabwe in various regional competitions such as Africa Region 5 Amateur Golf Challenge in Lilongwe, Malawi, and the All-Africa Junior Team Championships in Uganda among others. He was also part of the seven Zimbabwean junior golfers that were part of the inaugural Africa High Performance Programme Camp which took place at the Balderstone Sports Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He has begun preparations for the Africa Amateur Championships which will be held at Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa starting on 15 February. @brandon_malvin