Zim Open tees off

Chapman greens and it was a bitter confirmation that the tournament was no longer part of the prestigious Sunshine Tour.
Before the event went off the radar in 2001, South African golfer Jean Hugo had won the competition in 1999 with a fine 17 under par 271, finishing off two strokes ahead of countryman Ulrich van de Berg.
For Hugo, winning the Zimbabwe before the turn of the millennium was memorable as it was his biggest-ever golf accolade then.
In 2010, the Zimbabwe Open was revived and Hugo, who has graduated to play on the European Tour has been part of the Zim Open cast at Royal Harare.
By virtue of his status as a former winner, Hugo, remains one of the household names at this year’s Golden Pilsner Zimbabwe Open as it tees off this morning at Royal Harare.
Yesterday, Hugo, was playing his practice round and remained cautious on his chances of winning this year’s edition of the Open.
“The greens are good and the course is very nice,” he said.
The South African golfer believes patience is a virtue that could come in handy for him if he is to stay in the game.
“Its going to be an exciting event and I think I just have to play well on the 1st tee and the 10th tee.
“The idea is to start off well and try to play for par,” he said.
Hugo is also praying for favourable weather after last year’s Zim Open was played under heavy rains.
“I have not played for sometime but I see that there is quite a strong field with a couple of new players.
“One just has to be patient with the ball,” said Hugo who will be playing the same ball with Lyle Rowe and Titch Moore as they start off from tee 10.
Defending champion Theunis Spangenberg is also among the 156 players on the greens today as he plays with Charl Coetzee and Divan can der Heever, teeing off from the first box.
Last year the 28-year old Spangenberg held his nerve on the water-logged course and managed to win by 15 under 201 to cruise to victory by two strokes over closest rivals Matthew Carvell.
Carvell is also back at Royal Harare this year hoping to land the title after he had sunk the best score of 64 on the final round.
There is also James Kamte from St Francis Links Golf Club, who is also aiming to land championship on this stopover of the Sunshine Tour.
Kamte was enjoying his round in the Pro-Am as he was on 7 under after 13 holes.
“So far it has been a good start for me. I think I need to play well again tomorrow. The course is fine and the greens are fantastic. Its just in good condition,” Kamte.
After his practice round in the Pro-Am, Kamte learnt that each hole as its own challenges.
“I reckon that there is no easy hole.
“Every hole has its challenges and could bite you. I will try to hit good shots on the tee and then keep the ball in play,” said Kamte.
Kamte who is also from South Africa said he would not exert pressure on himself in trying to win the open.
“I have got a job to do here and I am looking forward to a good game and everyone should have a great week,” said Kamte.
Another hopeful is Anton Haig, who is playing the same ball with Kamte.
Haig was playing his Pro-Am with Royal Harare manager Ina Mathienson and believes he received some valuable tips from the man-in-charge of these greens.
“Its good to be back for the 2012 event and the course is just in good nick. Last year there were torrential rains and I hope the weather is a bit favourable this year.
“Its sunny and I hope it will be a real Sunshine Tour,” said Haig.
The golfer, recovering from an injury that kept him off the course for a year and a half said he was relaxed ahead of the tee off.
“Now I am looking forward to this week. Just need to stay relaxed and I can see that the course is playing well and the greens are much better. Having played with Ian, he has given me some information on the holes and I hope to remember that when I play,” said Haig.
The 25-year-old South African appeared to have the world at his feet when he claimed a famous victory at the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand against a star-studded cast which included fellow countrymen and Major champions Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. It was his second Asian Tour title back. But a combination of injuries and loss of form saw his career spiral downwards, which prompted a sabbatical last year. While South African players have a strong presence in the Golden Pilsner Zim Open, the local players can also hope that Bruce Macdonald could rise to the occasion and emulate Nick Price, Mark MacNulty and Tony Jonhstone who have won the Zim Open before.
Macdonald is starting from the 10th tee and is currently the highest ranked Zimbabwean golfer among the local field. Ryan Cairns, plays at Royal Harare and could make good use of his knowledge of the greens while Tongo Charamba was showing a great swing and should fancy his chances of making the cut before taking on the challenge.
Last year Ignatius Mketekete had a decent run at the Zim Open and remains hopeful again this year.
There is an added excitement for all the golfers this year as Land Rover have put a brand new Range Rover Evoque as the grand prize for the golfer who sinks an eagle on the par 4, 18th hole.