By FELIX MALUNGA –
THE Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) has said no local player has so far qualified to compete in the 2015 Mopani Copper Mines/Redpath Mining Zambia Open Championship set for Kitwe next month.
ZGU honorary secretary Kelly Munsaka said for local golfers to participate in the prestigious event scheduled for Nkana Golf Club, they needed to go through two qualifiers and encouraged the top 20 amateur players on 2014 Order of Merit not to miss the opportunity.
Munsaka said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that the first qualifying round was the Zambia Amateur Open held a fortnight ago while the final event would be this weekend’s Nkana Open Championship.
He said the top players on the ZGU Order of Merit were not guaranteed of places in the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open but needed to earn their slots through the qualifiers.
“As it is, nobody has qualified for the Zambia Open. As ZGU, we are encouraging the players especially those in the top 20 on the 2014 Order of Merit to participate in the qualifiers,” Munsaka said.
He, however, said performance of the golfers at the two tournaments just formed about 80 percent of the qualifying criterion while ZGU retain 20 percent and would make certain considerations on the final team list.
The ZGU honorary secretary said the players to be picked from the two qualifiers would also participate in the 2015 Zambia Sugar Open Championship at Lusaka Golf Club next monthend.
Munsaka said the total field for the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open would be 144 with ZGU given 10 slots for amateurs and another 10 for local professional golfers.
The other 10 slots will be for special invitees for the title sponsors and ZGU while tournament authorities, Sunshine Tour will have 114 entries.
Ndola’s Gabriel Chibale won the Zambia Amateur Open and was trailed by Kelly Tembo, Aaron Simfukwe Jnr, Mukuka Mwango Jnr and Boyd Kapalamoto.
On the Sunshine Tour roster, only Madalitso Muthiya, Dayne Moore and Bruce Chanda have so far signed up for both the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open and Zambia Sugar Open.
The $300,000-rich (about K2.1 million) Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open will be held on April 23 – 26 while Zambia Sugar Open with a prize tag of R1.5 million (about K900,000) is set for April 30 – May 3.
Meanwhile, a Royal and Ancient (R&A) of Saint Andrews golf expert, Tony Rocky will in May conduct an R&A Level One Introductory Rules School course in Lusaka on the sidelines of the 2015 All Africa Junior Challenge.
Munsaka appealed to golfers and administrators to sign up for the R&A Level One Introductory Rules School course to get the technical know-how of the sport.
He said participation fee had been pegged at K150 per person for the event to be held during the All Africa Junior Challenge.
The All Africa Junior Challenge is set for May 4-8 in Lusaka.