Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo at Royal Harare Golf Club
LUIS Carrera has made history by becoming the first non-South African golfer to win the Zimbabwe Open in 24 years.
Since 2001, the Zimbabwe Open has been won by South Africans with the last Zimbabwean to win it being Mark McNulty in 2000.
The Mexican professional signed for a final round 68 to register a four-stroke victory over Australian Austin Bautista at the 2025 FBC Zimbabwe Open.
Carrera’s victory is also the first time since Jean Hugo (1999) that a player wins the Zimbabwe Open on Sunshine Tour debut.
He finished the tournament on 18-under-par-270 while Bautista carded 14-under-par-274.
Carrera, who won the Sunshine Tour Qualification School in April, started round four on Sunday on 14-under-par-202, one shot ahead of Bautista who was on 13-under-par-203.
Carrera made an eagle on the par-five third hole to go with one birdie and one bogey in his front nine.
He went on to bogey the par-three 11th before going on to shoot three more birdies on number 14, 16 and the final 18th hole.
His competitor, Bautista made one-under-71 on Sunday with his round made up four birdies and three bogeys.
Sweden’s Fredrik From Sweden and MJ Viljoen finished tied for third on nine-under-par-279 while Trevor Fisher Junior secured the fifth spot on eight-under-par-280.
Hugo finished sixth on seven-under-par-281.
Robson Chinhoi finished as the highest placed Zimbabwean, tied for position seven on six-under-par-282. He made 71 in the final round and is tied with Kyle de Beer, Hennie Otto, and Samuel Simpson.
