By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

SIX former winners will this morning tee-off in the US$500,000 (about K3.7 million) Zambia Sugar Open Championship at the Lusaka Golf Club with the local twist to this demanding for an improved performance from the 25 Zambians making the draw.
With the majority of the field coming straight from the Kitwe where Englishman Ross McGowan won the Mopani Copper Mines /Redpath Mining Zambia Open tournament with a 13-under-par after four rounds, form will not be an issue.
But McGowan is not in this draw and so is the Mopani winner from last year Wallie Coetsee missing but there are no such qualms for this tournaments’ defending champion Lyle Rowe who finished in joint 14th place in Kitwe.
Joining Rowe as former winners are Tyrone Ferreira, Justin Harding, Ulrich van de Berg, Doug McGuigan and Desvonde Botes.
While this team of six former winners could be belonging to a special group, in this open it is highly unlikely they get any special treatment from opponents like South African Danie van Tonder.
Van Tonder who has enjoyed a fine year on the Sunshine Tour reckons his game is hitting the right note and his second-place second finish at the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open four days ago was a good sign he can get the Zambia Sugar Open title.
In Kitwe, Van Tonder finished two strokes behind eventual winner (McGowan) and is set to turn the screws at this Zambia Sugar Open.
He told Sunshine tour that he feels to be at his best and believes that this season should be better than last year where he won two titles and then finished in the top 10 on 12 occasions.
But it is his showing at Nkana Golf Club last weekend that gives him a belief he can eclipse last year`s effort and win the Zambia Sugar Open.
At this Zambia Sugar Open, he has some real fight to put up to get the top prize as the draw also has some seasoned players who have been really impressive this year on the Sunshine Tour and will be hoping for the same here.
Among those to bring a threat will be players like Jean Hugo, Phil McIntyre, Neil Schietekat, James Kamte, Toto Thimba Jnr, Titch Moore, Madalitso Muthiya and Dayne Moore among others.
Muthiya and Moore will be the two best players to carry Zambia’s title hopes over the next four days though a closer look at the list of Zambians shows there are some other young talents ready to make the big step.
Among them are Aaron Simfukwe Junior, who was the best amateur at the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open, Patrick Mwendapole junior, Abhinav Walia and Gabriel Chibale.
Muthiya believes the potential is aplenty in Zambia and it takes such tournaments to show one how close or far they are from getting to the big league.
Muthiya fancies his chances at his childhood Lusaka Golf Club and that his aim is to always play his best on any golf course.