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Takudzwa Chitsiga-Sports Reporter

UNITED States-bound leading junior golfer Margaret Nyamukondiwa is expected to successfully defend her Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Open title when the tournament tees off at Royal Harare tomorrow morning. 

The 18-year-old Chapman Golf Club-based has been in fine form, managing to dominate both in junior and senior tournaments. 

Nyamukondiwa, who is on the verge of moving abroad with his brother Tafadzwa’s former college, the University of Drexel in Philadelphia, United States, showing interest in taking her on board, will be among the players expected to tee-off in the high profile tournament sponsored by National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe and Diagnostic Laboratory Suppliers to the tune of US$35 000. 

Nyamukondiwa won the ZLGU Zimbabwe Open last year after winning a playoff against her national teammate Danielle Bekker, who has been competing in South Africa. 

The junior golf starlet has been in top form throughout the year in local, regional and international competitions. 

Locally, she is fresh from winning the Midlands Ladies Strokeplay at Gweru Golf Club where she edged fellow national team player Yollander Mubaiwa in a three-hole playoff after the pair had finished tied at the top of the leader board. 

Nyamukondiwa also won the girls’ title in the inaugural edition of the First Capital Bank Zimbabwe Junior Golf Open at Borrowdale Brooke Golf Estate in May while she also posted good results in the Nomads South Africa Junior International and the African Junior Golf Challenge in Egypt. 

The 2022 edition of the Zimbabwe Open will tee off with several top layers taking to the field and Nyamukondiwa will have to contend with top professionals like Loice Chingono, Mubaiwa and Shamiso Makwara among several others. 

Nyamukondiwa started playing golf at the age of eight at Wingate Golf Club under the guidance of veteran coach Lewis Muridzo-Chitengwa before moving to Chapman. 

A product of Zimbabwe’s junior golf development programmes, Nyamukondiwa made history seven years ago by becoming the youngest player to represent the national women’s golf team at senior level after featuring in the A and B Triangular Ladies golf tournament at the age of 10. 

Meanwhile, Mubaiwa is expected to be the fifth woman to turn professional after the Zimbabwe Ladies Amateur Open, which will be held from tomorrow to Sunday at Royal Harare. 

The former number one amateur golfer, who has represented the country at all levels from juniors to amateurs, is now targeting to turn professional after most of her compatriots did the same. 

Zimbabwe currently has four female professional golfers in Jessie Nyakatawa, Claire Minter, Loice Chingono and Shamiso Makwara. 

Mubaiwa is hoping to sign off her amateur golf career on a high by winning the Zimbabwe Ladies Amateur Open which is sponsored by National Aids Council and Diagnostic Laboratory Suppliers to the tune of US$35 000. 

Mubaiwa will be one of the favourites to win this year’s sponsored Zimbabwe Ladies Amateur Open as she has been a consistent performer on the local circuit.

The Royal Harare-based golfer is one of the most decorated golfers within the Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union ranks as she has represented Zimbabwe in several regional and continental competitions such as the All Africa Challenge Trophy, the Gilbertson and Page Trophy, the A and B Triangular and Ladies Open on several occasions. 

A Nigeria IBB Ladies Open winner in 2014, she also captured the Botswana Ladies Open in 2019 before she took a break from the sport.

Now a mother, Mubaiwa is determined to win this year’s Zimbabwe Ladies Amateur Open to finish her amateur career on a high before taking the next step in her career. 

“I am contemplating turning professional and winning the Zimbabwe Ladies Open would be a great achievement as I will be turning professional afterwards,” she said.

Mubaiwa is in good form after recently finishing as a runner-up in the Midlands Ladies Strokeplay Championship at Kadoma Golf Club. 

She narrowly missed out on the coveted title to the in-form Margaret Nyamukondiwa in a three-hole playoff. 

She had earlier validated her golfing prowess by putting up a spirited performance to win the Matabeleland Open Strokeplay Championship in March this year. 

Mubaiwa returns to her favourite hunting ground Royal Harare Golf Club where she recently won her sixth successive Royal Harare Golf Club Ladies Championship and her eighth overall, making her one of the favourites to lift the Zimbabwe Ladies Amateur Open Championship. 

In another development, Zimbabwe’s representative at the Royal and Ancient Junior Open Championship, formerly World Junior Golf Championship, at Monifieth Golf Links in Scotland, Keagan Shutt, has moved in the top 20 after the opening two-rounds. 

The Chapman-based top junior golfer finished the second round tied on position 17 on five-over after rounds of 75 and 74. 

Scotland’s Graham Connor is leading on eight-under-under after the opening two rounds.