Mathieson’s Royal praise

event on the Zimbabwe golfing calendar.
The Open will run from April 16 to April 22.
“We at Royal Harare are very proud of our continued association with this prestigious event and have upped our preparations.
“Our scenic parkland course measuring 6 671 metres of the championship is in superb condition leading up to the event, and we anticipate some really good scores with plenty of birdies, possibly a few eagles and hopefully a hole in one or even a new course record being set.
“The past two Africom Zimbabwe Open events have been very successful, albeit plagued by seasonal heavy rainfall.
“This year we are expecting that there will be little or no rain and that the event will be played in glorious autumn sunshine — perfect golfing conditions.
“The players can expect to experience fast, true greens.
“The fairways and tees are lush,” said Mathieson. But straying off the fairway could come at a cost.
“A word of caution though to the player who strays off the fairway.
“The semi rough is mowed at 35mm and the rough at 60mm, but be warned it is very thick and will present a grinding challenge to even the most experienced golfer.
“Royal Harare Golf Club is renowned for its more than 80 bunkers, all of which have undergone a sand replenishment programme ahead of the event.
“The sand meets the stringent USGA specification, and is laid to a uniform depth throughout all of the bunkers on the course, making for consistent playing conditions.
“I would encourage all keen golfers to come and see what promises to be four days of exciting golf from some of the top local and international players.
“The professional golfers will find themselves playing on a course that meets the standards of some of the finest golf courses in Southern Africa.
“Royal Harare Golf Club is extremely proud of the quality venue which we are providing for the 2012 Golden Pilsner Zimbabwe Open,” said Mathieson.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Golf Association has announced the final team that will represent the country at the Africa Zone VI Golf Championships at Lilongwe Golf Club in Malawi from April 17-19.
The team had their final practice round under team manager Rodger Baylis at Chapman Golf Club yesterday.
The country’s top amateur, Clive Nguru, is the only survivor from last year’s team that battled in Kenya.
With the help of captain Emanuel Hungwe, who has several national team caps and experience, the duo will guide the newcomers.
Zimbabwe finished third behind South Africa and runners-up Kenya during last year’s event in Mombasa.
Zimbabwe Zone Final zone VI team:
Clive Nguru, Ben Follet-Smith, Brent Goddard, Emmanuel Hungwe, Brett Krog, Munashe Madhodha, Biggie Chibvuri and Bernard Magaso.