.HARDING

By FELIX MALUNGA –

THE Zambia Open Golf Championship thrills are back in Kitwe with today’s MTN Zambia/EC Mining Pro-Am setting the stage for a busy week at Nkana Golf Club.
A total 160 golfers, who include 40 professionals, will battle for early bragging rights ahead of the prestigious Mopani Copper Mines/Redpath Mining Zambia Open Championship which starts on Thursday.
Two past Zambia Open winners will be involved in the MTN/ECM Pro-Am, the first prelude to the 2015 edition which carries a $300,000 (about K2.2 million) prize tag while other top players will slag it out in tomorrow’s Mopani/Redpath Pro-Am.
Justin Harding, the 2012 Zambia Open champion and also last year’s runner-up, will lead an array of top campaigners on the Sunshine Tour who will aim to make a statement in the MTN’ECM Pro-Am and set a tone for the week.
Tyrone Ferreira, who won the Zambia Open on his professional debut in 2008, will also be active this morning as he tries to master the Nkana course ahead of the Zambia Open proper.
Titch Moore, winner of the now defunct Cock of the North in 2000 and 2009 Zambia Open runner-up, is another high-profile professional player to watch out for today.
Other seasoned Sunshine Tour professionals featuring in the first Pro-Am are Mark Williams, Jean Hugo, Christian Basson, Toto Thimba Jnr, CJ Du Plessis and PH McIntyre.
Local professionals Kelvin Phiri, who topped all in the recent qualifiers, Jason Taylor, Beza Daka, Gibson Saloba, Geoffrey Banda and Aaron Simfukwe Snr will take care of Zambia’s interests in the MTN/ECM Pro-Am.
On the amateur ranks, several corporate executives including sports administrators will also try to showcase their potential against top professional golfers.
Some of the local amateurs playing today are Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament (MP) Emmanuel Chenda, Meanwood General Insurance chairperson Eddie Samakai, Zambia Police commissioner Auxensio Daka, Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) acting general secretary Innocent Chalabesa, Zambia Golf Union (ZGU) vice-president north Moses Chitoshi, Zambia Ladies Golf Union (ZLGU) president Moono Mwila and Welani Chilengwe.
Others are Ndola Golf Club captain Gary Rutherford, ZGU treasurer Humphrey Mutambo, Greg Lubesha, Julie Sakala, Hilda Edwards, Serge Kabaso, Danny Kangwa, Stanley Chipeta, Nkruma Musonda and Emmanuel Mali.
Meanwhile, 22 top professionals arrived yesterday for the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open with 1996 champion, Desvonde Botes back to try and end a 19-year trophy drought for him in Zambia.
Botes, who arrived at midday at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola with several others, said despite battling lately he still believes his game is back was back after practising a lot.
“If I don’t have a chance I won’t be here. I have a chance (to win). So I hope to enjoy the golf course up there in Kitwe. I am looking forward to see what the course is looking like, how the greens are rolling,” he said.
Defending champion Wallie Coetsee will not be available for the 2015 Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open which runs from April 23-26.