Chronicle EditorTakudzwa Chitsiga: Sports Reporter
TOP amateur and national team player Tonderai Masunga was crowned the Players Championships winner when he finished on five-over at Warren Hills over the weekend. The former Wingate player was part of the field that teed off in the tournament which begun on Friday and finished on Sunday.Masunga, who is unattached at the moment, got the better of 20 other players who took part in the event that, however, had a low turnout. Masunga is playing off scratch and saw him carding scores of 69, 72, 76 and 76 for overall 293. The newly introduced Players Championship is a national event that contributes to the order of merit points.
With 20 players taking to the field, they managed to play two rounds on Saturday to complete all the 72 holes. Bulawayo Country Club’s Mayford Sibanda finished as the runner up on 15-over 203 after the four rounds.
Sibanda is also playing off zero handicap and had rounds of 77, 79, 71 and 76 for the 203 total. Tatenda Makunde, who is also not attached was third on 20 over par playing off two handicap. Makunde had rounds of 77, 80, 69 and 74 for a total 308.
Zimbabwe matchplay champion Never Milazi settled for fourth place at the tournament, which had very high scores as he finished on 25-over 313 total.
The Country Club amateur was tied with Gweru’s Liberty Gumisa while evergreen Chapman’s Rasheed Mahomed had a difficult time as he was on sixth place. John Milanzi, Tafara Mpofu, Promise Mariyacha and Promise Sombreiro completed the top ten respectively.
The country’s longest course gave the amateurs a torrid time as there were few under-pars recorded throughout the event with Masunga’s opening round of 69 being the best. Players’ championship comes hardly a week after the amateurs took part in the Zimbabwe matchplay in Bulawayo and the congestion is also contributing to the small numbers turning up for tournaments.
Online Reporter