By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

SOUTH African golf experts are in the country to conduct a series of coaching clinics for Zambian junior golfers.
The two, Karl Haessler and Paul Cunningham, will spend this week at Chibuluma Golf Club in Kalulushi where they will take junior golfers from the Copperbelt through the paces and help them improve their fledgling skills.
Zambia Junior Golf Association (ZJGA) director Aloysius Phiri said in an interview yesterday that the South African duo’s presence was part of his executive’s dream of improving junior golf in the country.
Phiri said Haessler and Cunningham, who spent a week in Lusaka with the national junior and the Zone Six-bound teams, would this week be on the Copperbelt to conduct similar programmes.
The Zambia junior team has formed the bulk of the national team that will compete at the Zone Six tournament set for Uganda this week. The session at Chibuluma will run until Friday this week and involves both theory and practical aspects of the game.
Phiri said ZJGA had invited all developmental players but only had 25 on the opening day because some clubs were yet to send their juniors though a full house was expected today as the clinics progress.
He said Nchanga, Mufulira, Nkana and hosts Chibuluma have sent their players while Ndola and the other golf clubs on the Copperbelt were yet to do so.
Phiri said his association was taking advantage of the school holidays to give the Zambian juniors a two-week training that should be able to improve their game.
Previously, experts, who have come to Zambia, have described the short game (chipping and putting) as the biggest undoing for Zambian golfers.
Phiri said the reviews he got after the one-week Lusaka training stint from two were encouraging and that Zambia could brace itself for good results at the two Zambia Opens (Mopani Copper Mines/Redpath Mining and Zambia Sugar).
Meanwhile, a team of eight golfers today leaves for Uganda to take part in the 2015 Zone Six Golf Championship.
Phiri said in Kitwe yesterday that the eight would be coached by Obed Sholoma for the tournament that starts on Thursday and that ZJGA was expecting good results.
Making the team is national junior team captain Tristan Bryce as well as hotshot Zambia Amateur and Mufulira champion, Gabriel Chibale.
“The team is ready for the tournament because Preparations went on very well and the two South African golf experts Karl Hassler and Paul Cunningham have equipped them with modern golf techniques,” Phiri said.
The full squad being led by Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) president Charles Mwanza comprise Aaron Simfukwe Jnr, Peter Munyinya, Sydney Wemba, Boyd Kapalamoto, Denmark Mulambo, Kelvin Chibuye, Gabriel Chibale and Tristan Bryce.
Other countries to compete in the championship are Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana and hosts Uganda and runs from April 16 to 18 in Kampala.