The Zimbabwe Professional Golfers’ Association (ZPGA) president Arkil Yousuf says local professional golfers were satisfied with the inaugural season of the Golden Pilsener Zambezi Tour — the country’s premier tour for local professional golfers.
The Zambezi Tour came into existence early this year in March when its management board of trustees was given mandate to organise and run all professional tournaments in the country.
“The inception of the Golden Pilsener Zambezi Tour this year has definitely lifted the level of golf to a professional level in Zimbabwe. It has also professionalised our outlook and the performance of our players on the playing field.
“I think it was a long time coming that we had a solid structure behind us and want to commend the Zambezi Tour and their board of trustees for uplifting us, helping us show what Zimbabwean professional golfers have to offer,” said Yousuf.
The Zambezi Tour board of trustees comprises of the chairman Celestine Gadzikwa, Willard Zireva as vice-chairman, Kevin Stead, Addington Chinake and Paulo Moyo (board members Cedrick Jonker (operations manager) and Michael Mahachi, the founding trustee and tournament director.
In previous years, the local professional golfers through the ZPGA, used to run their own administration issues as well as tournaments.
Yousuf said the move to come up with an independent body, made sure local professionals now had to focus on their game rather than administrative issues. “The level of competition has improved significantly and players are working hard because there is more money involved.
“More corporates are coming to sponsor professional tournaments and from the ZPGA perspective that’s the value the Zambezi Tour has brought to us. The inaugural season went on very well and we are confident next year it will continue growing,” said Yousuf.
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Delta Beverages, through their Golden Pilsener brand, secured naming rights for the Zambezi Tour.
Other sponsors like NetOne, Triangle Hippo Valley Estates, the Zimbabwe Open Committee, Premier Auto Services, Econet Wireless, the Joshua Nkomo Memorial Trust, Hwange Colliery and FBC Banking Corporation also sponsored various tournaments on the calendar.
