By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

TWO luxury sports utility vehicles will be up for grabs at this monthend’s Zambia Sugar Open Golf Championship after Alliance Motors and Southern Cross Motors staked a car each on two of the short-holes at the Lusaka Golf Club.
The two cars will be placed on the ninth and 16th holes where the first golfer to sink a hole-in-one on any of these holes will come out of the golf course driving.
An immaculate Jaguar from Alliance Motors is on the ninth hole while Southern Cross Motors are yet to state which vehicle they will place on the 16th from their various range in the showroom.
In addition to the vehicles, Alliance Motors will give an extra $12, 500 (about K95,000) while Southern Cross Motors will add $10, 000 (about K76,000).
Zambia Sugar Open Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairperson for finance and resource mobilisation, Rodwell Chawatama said the hunt to meet the budget was progressing well and expressed confidence the money would be found.
“We have had some exciting sponsorships coming in and it excites us. Southern Cross Motors and Alliance Motors are weighing the vehicles for two of the short holes. We still have two short holes at the club and we still talking to companies and we may just have them all subscribed,” he said.
Chawatama praised the works also done by LOC chairperson Roy Penney who wants this to be the best-ever tournament hosted by Lusaka.
He said giant oil marketing company, Total would weigh in with 3, 000 litres of fuel split into 2,000 for diesel and the rest as petrol while Lunzua Water would quency the golfers and other dignitaries’ thirst during the tournament.
“We also have Kazuma who are giving the committee staggering US$15, 000 and I can safely say that with these coming in, we are at 75 per cent in meeting the budget of the tournament.
Lusaka captain, Nsama Mataka said the course was almost ready for the tournament and that what remained was just fine-tuning which include the greens undergoing manicuring.
“The men lockers are ready, the women lockers and the caddies showers should be ready by the end of the week. It’s all systems go and we are ready for a great Zambia Open,” Mataka said.
He also expressed happiness with the preparations by the local professional players and hoped there would put in an improved performance than previous years.
The Zambia Sugar Open will be held from April 30-May 3 at Lusaka Golf Club.