OTTO LEADS FBC ZIM OPEN

Takudzwa Chitsiga

Zimpapers Sports Hub

SOUTH African professional golfer Hennie Otto is leading the FBC Zimbabwe Golf Championships which got underway at Royal Harare yesterday.

Otto, who has won 14 times on the Sunshine Tour, will go into today’s second round at the top of the leaderboard.

The 48-year-old South African, who played in the afternoon session, is on six-under-par.

He waltzed past a four-way tie of Luis Carrera of Mexico, Tyrone Ryan of South Africa, Doug McGuigan of Scotland and Austin Bautista of Australia, who are on five-under-par.

The playing conditions seemed to be favourable at Royal Harare with three other players — the South African trio of MJ Viljoen, Christian Basson and Warwirk Purchase — shooting four-under-par.

Seasoned professional golfer Ryan Cairns and Nyasha Muyambo go into today’s second round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open Golf Championship as the best-placed Zimbabweans.

Muyambo and Cairns, who is playing at his home course, managed to card impressive two-under-par rounds of 70.

Cairns started the first nine with four pars and his only birdie came on the fifth hole.

He picked another birdie on hole number 13 and parred the rest.

Muyambo, who also played in the afternoon session, had two double bogeys on holes number 4 and 18 while he also birdied holes number three, five, seven, 10, 11, 13 and 17.

Robson Chinhoi and Visitor Mapwanya are on a 14-way tie on one-under-par 71 while Pride Sembo and Clive Nguru are on level par going into today’s second round.