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Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
A spirited display, a rising teenage star, and a call to arms – Zimbabwe’s women’s national golf team may have finished second at the 2025 Southern Regional All Africa Challenge Trophy (SR-AACT), but they won hearts and headlines at the Windhoek Country Club.
Led by 15-year-old sensation Miriam Masiya, Zimbabwe produced a commanding performance to finish runners-up to regional powerhouse South Africa in the prestigious amateur tournament, reaffirming their growing stature on the continental stage.
Their total team score of 490, based on the two best individual scores per round, was just 40 strokes adrift of the dominant South Africans, who clinched the title with 450. Zimbabwe comfortably held off third-placed Namibia by 39 strokes, with Eswatini and Lesotho finishing further adrift in fourth and fifth respectively.
For Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union (ZLGU) president Olivia Nyamwanza, the performance was as inspiring as it was promising.
“I am so proud of the girls, given the odds that they were competing against – coming second to one of the best teams in Africa, South Africa,” said Nyamwanza.
“We have the talent that needs to be further nurtured. Support from all stakeholders is needed – finances, training, nutrition, among other things. We can build from here.”
The trio of Masiya, team captain Batsirai Tilowakuti, and Tracy Humbira carried the Zimbabwean flag with pride. Across three intense rounds, their scores counted as follows: 165, 166, and 159 – testament to their growing composure on the greens.
Masiya, who emerged as the team’s standout performer, finished fifth on the individual leader board. Her gross total of 239 placed her 24 strokes behind South Africa’s Olivia Wood (215), but a full 12 shots ahead of her teammate Tilowakuti, who came sixth with 251. Humbira followed in ninth place on 258.
Masiya’s consistency across the three rounds – 80, 81, and 78 – not only underpinned Zimbabwe’s impressive team finish but also reinforced her status as one of the country’s most promising golf prospects.
“Our top golfer, 15-year-old Miriam Masiya, has benefited immensely from the game of golf,” Nyamwanza added.
“We see her scaling the dizzy heights of women’s golf. So many opportunities lie ahead of her, especially if the above fundamentals are met. The sky is the limit.”
Tilowakuti returned rounds of 85, 85, and 81, while Humbira carded 86, 88, and 84 – solid numbers that helped ensure Zimbabwe’s grip on second place never loosened.
The SR-AACT, held under the auspices of the Africa Golf Confederation, serves as a key fixture on the women’s amateur golf calendar and a gateway to continental honours. As such, the Windhoek tournament doubled as a qualifier for the prestigious All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) finals, where Zimbabwe’s junior squad will look to carry the momentum forward.
The national juniors will travel to Tunisia on April 22 for the AACT finals. The team will feature Masiya, Zarina Makwarimba, Lily Ascot, and Listiah Bangura — a youthful quartet brimming with potential.
Online Reporter