ZIMBABWEAN golfer Micky Hough will join compatriot Ryan Cairns in the Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg, SA, after finishing an impressive second during the tournament’s pre-qualifier at Rocklands Course in South Africa yesterday.
REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The 29-year-old former Borrowdale Brooke Golf Club pro earned one of the 10 places on offer after firing a solid two-under-par 70 to finish in a three-way tie for second position with South Africans Pieter Moolman and Mikhail Tewary.
Zimbabwe’s leading Sunshine Tour golfer Cairns did not take part in the qualifier as he has full exemption status on the Sunshine Tour until the end of the year, after his breakthrough win on the tour last season. Seasoned local professional Tongo Charamba, who was one of the favourites to make the cut, narrowly missed out after settling for a tie for 13th position on one-over-par 73.
Other local golfers Mohammad Mandhu (tied for 27th) and Greg Bentley (tied for 52) finished further down the leaderboard and will miss the tournament while Tranos Muradzikwa withdrew from the qualifier.
The R3 750 000 Telkom PGA Championship, which holds the record of being the second oldest professional tournament in South Africa, will tee off at the Country Club Johannesburg tomorrow and run until Sunday.
The tournament has attracted some of the biggest names in South African golf including Africa Open winner and Tshwane Open runner-up Darren Fichardt, Cape Town Open champion Jake Roos and recently crowned Jo’burg Open winner Richard Sterne. Past champions Michiel Bothma and Keith Horne, as well as other top ranked players from the Sunshine Tour’s Order of Merit including Trevor Fisher (Jr), Garth Mulroy, Louis de Jager and Desvonde Botes will also be in the field.
