McDonald turns professional golfer

By Takudzwa Chitsiga
PROFESSIONAL golfer Bruce McDonald left the country over a decade ago for the United States as an amateur golfer.
But he has since turned professional and is now rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s finest golfers in some of America’s elite circuits.
The golfer returned home for the Africom Zimbabwe Open golf tournament last month and played his first local professional tournament.
In his first local professional tournament, he finished tied 23rd with Ignatius Mketekete to emerge the best local golfers.
McDonald (30) and Mketekete finished the three rounds tied on five-under-par after the four rounds.
McDonald left home without playing a major professional golf tournament as the Sunshine Tour went off the radar for nine years.
At the Africom Zimbabwe Open McDonald played fairly well.
“I had high hopes coming into the tournament but it was not that great although I managed to finish tied as the best local golfer.
“I missed it on the last round but I look forward to a better performance next year.
“It is always good to win a tournament in the presence of your home crowd.
“I am now looking forward to the Dimension Data and the Telkom before I return to the States,” said McDonald.
The golfer sees the Sunshine Tour as a stepping stone and expects to play in the US PGA in the coming years.
“It was in December 2010 when I decided to come for the Sunshine Tour qualifying rounds as it is winter in America.
“I played in the pre-qualifiers and finished tied on fourth position out of 260 golfers who were in the tournament.
“That is when I got my Sunshine Tour card. The return of the Zimbabwe Open helped me to make my decision.
“I wanted to see where I stand now as I left the country as the leading amateur,” he said.
His role model is Nick Price.
“Price inspired me. When I was growing up I would follow up on all his games as he conquered the world and he is a model to me.
“He was my mentor and I give so much credit to him and now I have gone a step further and we are now good friends.
“Price always give me guidance and he saw a lot of potential in me,” he said.
McDonald played for the Zimbabwe Junior and Amateur golf teams as a 17-year-old.
He played in the competitive junior and amateur era of Brendon de Jonge, Tongo Charamba, Shane Pringle and many who have since turned professional.
“I have always liked golf as I was introduced to the sport at a tender age.
“My father is a golfer although he plays much on the social side.
“During my junior time I played with several golfers who have since graduated into the professional side.
“I was the local number one junior golfer in 1998 and it gave me a ticket to play two tournaments in United States.
“Our team comprised Pringle, Mike Lamp, Steve Baylis and Jason Jackson and I think it still holds the record for local achievements.
“It was a good team as we played well in the two tournaments we took part in,” said McDonald.
Having performed well in the amateur ranks the golfer was given a scholarship at the Charleston University in South Carolina. The golf scholarship allowed him to play golf while studying for a degree in Business Studies.
“The golf scholarship helped me a lot as I managed to attain a degree.
“In 2003 while at college I played in two US amateur tournaments and had the best finish in the round of 16 which set the year’s record.
“There was a lot of competition at college such that I managed to break into the University’s second team in my last two years.
“In my last year I come second in the all America College golfers which was a distinction,” said McDonald.
The golfer turned professional in 2004 and from there he has played several tournaments.
“Golf is a game with a lot of up and downs you should just play to the best of your abilities,” he said.
The golfer is in South Africa where he is taking part in two Sunshine Tour tournaments before going back to the United States.