BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Zimbabwe junior golf sensation Danielle Bekker made a bright start at the US Kids Golf European Championships in Scotland on Tuesday to brighten her chances of going one better at the prestigious competition.
The talented 12-year-old, who finished an impressive second at the same tournament last year, carded a six-over par round of 78 in the opening round at the Gullane Golf Club to be just five shots off the lead.
Russia’s Nataliya Guseva leads the way at one-over par 73, shooting ahead of Switzerland’s Caroline Sturdza.
Bekker was five-over after her first nine holes after managing two birdies against two triple bogeys and a bogey.
After making the turn at five-over par, Bekker mixed birdies on the par five 12th and 16th with bogeys on the 13th, 17th and 18th to sign for a six-over par 78. Bekker was expected to resume the second round later yesterday tied for fifth position with Slovakia’s Viktoria Krnacova.
The 54-hole tournament features the best 12-year-olds in the world.
Approximately 550 players from 35 nations in the 5-18 age groups are taking part in Europe’s premier junior golf tournament to showcase the next generation of stars.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Bekker’s participation in Scotland comes after she recently won the Chapman Ladies’ Club Championship title in the capital.
The young prodigy, who is strongly tipped to scale dizzy heights on the world circuit in the not too distant future, also made her national debut at the Regional All-Africa Challenge Trophy in Namibia where she helped Zimbabwe to a commendable second place finish.
Meanwhile, United States-based Zimbabwean amateur golfer Sean Crocker is expected to play a leading role for the University of Southern California (USC) when they launch their campaign at the NCAA Championship finals at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, on Friday.
Crocker has enjoyed a stellar debut season on the US collegiate golf circuit with an impressive stroke average of 70, 20 and has been USC’s top finisher six times and finished worse than a tie for 21st only twice this year.
