• Sondashi

By FELIX MALUNGA –

At Nkana Golf Club
PRE-TOURNAMENT favourites, Zimbabwe yesterday kept their nerve to win the inaugural Africa Golf Confederation (AGC) President’s Cup after fending off a late Zambia and Kenya charge on the final day in Kitwe.
Zimbabwe raced to the winners on podium after a combined score of 13-over-par 889 following four days of action, beating hosts Zambia by seven shots.
Zambia put up a fierce late push with team captain Timothy Sondashi and Peter Munyinya each carding one-under-par 72 but Aaron Simfukwe jnr, who has been the most consistent local player, shot a poor seven-over-par 80.
The host’s other undoing was when Denmark Mulambo, who had fired one-over-par 74, was hit by a four-stroke penalty for carrying more than the recommended 12 golf clubs in his bag yesterday.
After being penalised, Mulambo’s score was five-over par 78, giving Zambia the final round score of three-over-par 222.
With the heat and pressure taking some effect on the players, Zimbabwean golfer, Tonderai Masunga, who was playing against Mulambo, threw his club in frustration on the 17th after struggling to get his act together.
Kenya, with Nelson Simwa shooting one-under-par 72 on the final day, ended their campaign on a gross score of 898, a runaway 27 strokes ahead of fourth-placed Namibia.
Malawi settled for fifth position on 933, three shots better than Tanzania while Uganda and Nigeria finished on 939 and 1049 to take the seventh and eighth places, respectively.
The Zimbabweans capped a successful week by also winning the individual stableford where Visitor Mapwanya finished on one-over-par 293 after 72 holes.
Mapwanya, who got the longest drive prize at the 2014 Zone Six Championship in South Africa in April, was a stroke ahead of compatriot, Thembelani Vundla.
Simwa finished third on five-over-par 297.
Simfukwe, who trailed Mapwanya by a shot before yesterday’s final round, tied for fourth with Namibian McPaul Ndeilenga on eight-over-par 300.
Munyinya also tied for sixth with two others on 10-over-par 302 while Sondashi was a stroke back in ninth position.
A total of 31 players from eight countries participated in the four-day golf championship in Kitwe.