adminTakudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
TALENTED professional golfer Ignatius Mketekete is set to bounce back on the course after a year on the sidelines.
Mketekete, now based in South Africa, will return to the local circuit next month for the National Aids Council pro-am.
The top professional had hung his clubs for the better part of last year and early this year citing lack of game-time and migrated to South Africa, but he believes that when the tournaments are there, he can now resuscitate his career.
“I think it’s promising now and once these tournaments are there on a regular basis I will definitely bounce back. It can be stressing to take part in one event and you will stay for the next six months without playing so now it looks promising.
“I will definitely come back home for the NAC pro-am tournament and I have since started practising for it,” said Mketekete.
The Zvishavane-born player was a marvel to watch in the past seasons before many tournaments came off the calendar due to different reasons. In most of his tournaments he would finish mostly in the top five, which saw him topping the order of merit on several occasions.
Garry Thompson’s new executive at Zimbabwe Professional Golf Association have managed to lure NAC for a $30 000 pro-am tournament, the first since the Golden Pilsner Zimbabwe Open back in April.
Thompson replaced Day Muyambo’s leadership and they are mandated to try and bring more game-time to the local professionals and the NAC tournament, slated for this coming month, is something good for the sport.
Mketekete snubbed the Zimbabwe Open, arguing that it was irrelevant to play against the South Africans who play every week.
The professional is not the only one in such a situation as many other players have resorted to teaching golf and some have virtually quit the sport.
It remains to be seen if the new ZPGA executive will live to expectations and they are looking forward to see the corporate world come on board and offer some more pro-am tournaments like what NAC has done.
Online Reporter