Delta Beverages, through their Golden Pilsner brand, yesterday unveiled a R1,5 million sponsorship package for the rebranded 2012 Golden Pilsner Zimbabwe Golf Open at Royal Harare Golf Club yesterday.
This year’s sponsorship increased from R1,25 million which was made available by communications company Africom for last year’s event.
The Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned event will take place from April 19-22 at Royal Harare Golf Club.
Delta Beverages, through their Golden Pilsner brand, are also the official sponsors of the country’s premier golf tour, the Golden Pilsner Zambezi Tour.
At least 150 professionals mainly from South Africa’s Sunshine Tour, local professionals and qualifying amateurs will battle it out for the prestigious Zimbabwe Open title.
The relevant pre-qualifying games and the traditional pro-am tournaments will be held from April 16-18 culminating in the final professional tournament teeing off on April 19. Since the tournament’s revival in 2010, South Africans have dominated the event, with Jbe’ Kruger and his countryman Theunis Spanernberg winning it in 2010 and last year respectively.
Local professionals have found the going tough with the injured Marc Cayeux, the only one to come close to the winners after finishing third behind eventual winner Kruger and second-placed Jaco Van Zyl all of South Africa in the 2010 event. Last year local-based golfer Ignatius Mketekete and United States-based pro Bruce McDonald, who was playing in his first tournament on home soil since turning professional, were the highest placed locals after both finished tied in 23rd postion.
