GOLFER Ryan Cairns will be the country’s only representative at the Joburg Open which tees off in Johannesburg, South Africa today.
REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Seven other Zimbabwean hopefuls failed to make the cut during Monday’s pre-qualifying round. They are Tongo Charamba, Greg Bentley, Brian Gondo, Mohammad Mandhu, Ignatius Mketekete, Tranos Muradzikwa and Michael Hough.
The Joburg Open — one of the premier events on the Sunshine Tour and co-sanctioned by the European Tour tees off at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club this morning with a strong field of 210 international golfers.
The tournament has a prize fund of $1,758 million which includes a $278 744 first prize.
According to the first round draw released by the Sunshine Tour, Cairns will tee off just before midday alongside China’s Mark Tullo and South African Colin Nel.
Cairns goes into the tournament without having played in the prequalifying round as he has full exemption status on the Tour because of his maiden Sunshine Tour victory at the Vodacom Origins event at Simola.
With only ten slots on offer and the cut-line on four-under-par or better, the locals performed dismally with Mketekete settling for a tie for 18th on two-under par while Charamba was tied for 48th on one-under par. The rest of the Zimbabwean golfers failed to post under-par scores.
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