adminPro-Ams, in which professionals will form teams with amateurs will tee-off on Friday using the individual stableford format over 18 holes.
The next two days will see players using stroke play format over the same number of holes.
Host club captain, Victor Suerga confirmed that Charferfly will be the main sponsor of the 2012 edition of the championship that will see a total of 120 players from across the country and outside taking part. Of these, between 30 and 40 will be professionals.
“Our main sponsor will once again be Charferfly Enterprises although we are also expecting other corporate bodies to chip in one way or the other,” said Suerga. On the preparatory side, Suerga said they were busy with the preparations.
The greens and tee box are expected to be in perfect condition by the time the championship tees off.
The teeing ground is the starting point on each hole of a golf course. It’s the area covered by the space in-between two tee markers and two-club-lengths back from the tee markers.
“We are working on one or two things on our fairways which should however be in perfect condition as well,” said Suerga.
During the Matabeleland Ladies Strokeplay Golf Tournament held on the same course this year, there was a general feeling that the greens and the fairways were not in condition.
Like has been the norm, foreign-based amateur players from South Africa, Zambia and Botswana are expected to grace the occasion, one of the season’s draw cards on the domestic scene with world famous players like Nick Price having participated and won in 1974.
The rules of golf as published by the Royal and Ancient shall apply together with local rules published by the tournament committee.
Ties for division winners will be decided by a play-off over holes five, six and nine. In the event of a tie then the same holes will be played on sudden death.
All other ties will be decided by count back system in use by the organisers.
Defending champion, Tongoona Charamba is expected to face stiff challenge from his runner-up Peter Banda, 2010 winner Ignatius Mketekete and Bulawayo’s Phillip Tshuma who cut his golfing teeth on the same course a few years ago.
Last year Tshuma came a distant 11th after scoring 150, nine points behind Charamba.
Bongani Ndlovu