×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Sponsors galore for Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open

Sport
THE Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open continues to grow in stature each year as it has managed retain all their sponsors from last year.

THE Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open continues to grow in stature each year as it has managed retain all their sponsors from last year, while adding more to their bulging list of corporate partners despite the biting economic challenges the country is going through. BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

Sponsored to the tune of R1,8 million, the Zimbabwe Open is set to tee off from April 9 to 12 at Royal Harare Golf Club.

Insurance partner Alexander Forbes and anchor sponsors Old Mutual were presented at a Press conference hosted by the Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee (ZOGC) at the world-renowned picturesque yesterday as the new partners to have joined the bandwagon of the corporate community to be part of the premier golf event co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour.

Other sponsors include Delta Beverages, who, through their Golden Pilsener brand, will be the title sponsors for the fourth year running, anchor sponsors Tongaat Hulett, communication partner Liquid Telecom, financial service partner MBCA Bank, official vehicle partner Premier Auto through Jaguar Brand.

“We are most grateful to our sponsors and their partners who have committed their brands to our national premier tournament and you will be seeing our sponsors’ premier brands and banners throughout the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open week,” the ZOGC chairman Livingstone Gwata said in his speech.

“Without the support of these sponsors and partners, this event would not have been possible and as the Zimbabwe Open Committee, we are most grateful,” he said. After Africom bankrolled the event in 2010 and 2011, Golden Pilsener took over as the title sponsors in 2012 with the prize money pegged at a total of R1,5 million which steadily rose to R1,8 million in 2014 and the same amount has been set aside for the four-day tourney this year.

Delta Beverages representative, channel marketing executive Irimayi Muzorewa, expressed satisfaction with the growing profile of the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open since the brand assumed sponsorship role.

“I am happy to report that ever since we embarked on the journey to bring this vision to fruition in 2012, we have successfully hosted three tournaments. The profile of the tournament keeps growing in stature as we manage to lure more high profile international players,” Muzorewa said.

“This has highly benefited our local players to improve their game and we can only hope that this year, one of our own walks away with the top prize.”

With a total of 156 golfers, the bulk of them from the Sunshine Tour in South Africa expected to tee off on April 9, Zimbabwean professionals face a tough task to land the coveted title.

It would take top drawer performance to beat two-time winner and defending champion Jbe Kruger who has already confirmed his participation in this year’s edition and starts as favourite to retain the title.

Tournament director Michael Mahachi affirmed the involvement of Keith Horne, a winner on the European tour as well as Danny Van Tonder, the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner last year in the running for the bragging Zimbabwe Open bragging rights.

Highly-rated Zimbabwean golfer Tongoona Charamba, who managed a top-10 finish last year, once again carries the nation’s hopes.

Other locals to look out for include South Africa-based duo of Mark Williams and Ryan Cairns who is just returning from injury.

Five amateurs, namely Thembelani Vundla, Tonderai Masunga, Visitor Mapwanya, Stuart Krog and Doctor Maphosa, will take their place in the field after finishing in the top five of the Zimbabwe Golf Association Order of Merit standings.