Mketekete bags top prize at Poweride Elephant Hills Golf Classic

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter

HARARE based professional golfer Ignatius Mketekete won the Poweride Elephant Hills Golf Classic which concluded at the Elephant Hills Golf Course on Sunday.

Mketekete walked away with a cash prize of US$1 500 and a trophy. The Chapman Golf Club pro had a gross score of 72 and 72 again Sunday for a total of 144, level par to shake off the challenge of Thembelani Vundla and other professional golfers who were vying for the title.

Poweride Safaris and Car Rental director Thamsanqa Sikhosana with Elephant Hills Golf Club vice captain Sanjay Bhukhan

On the amateur section competition, Elephant Hills Golf Club male members used home advantage to the fullest as they clean swept the winners for all the categories. Josphat Phiri, who was a favourite from the start was the winner of A Division with 72 points for the Saturday and Sunday Stable ford scores. Another Elephant Golf Club member, Tees Makore took the crown for the B Division on 73 points. The C Division went to Nilan Bhukhan who had a score of 68.

Professional golfers who took part in the Poweride Elephant Hills Golf Classic at Elephant Hills Golf Course

Veteran, Patience Utete of Hwange Golf Club took the honours in the women’s section on 63 points, shaking off the challenge of Sakhile Ndiweni of Harry Allen Golf Club on 61 points.

Poweride Safaris and Car Rental director, Thamsanqa Sikhosana was delighted with how things panned out. A total of US$40 000 poured into the two day event by the sponsors which covered the Mitsubishi Mirage worth US$6 000 which was meant to be won by a golfer who got a hole in one, T-shirts, caps, golf kits, green fees, dinners and lunches for the 95 golfers who took part. The sponsors ended up keeping the car after the golfers failed to get a hole in one.

The Mitsubishi Mirage which was one of the prizes but was not won

“It was well attended, well organised, I didn’t expect that, everything went smoothly players showed serious commitment, they were playing as if they were playing at the Zimbabwe Open. Even their comments were really impressive. I was disappointed that the car was not won because I wanted everything to be won and word would have spread because we are already planning something bigger for next year,’’ said Sikhosana.

Besides local golfers, the other participants came from Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia.

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