The Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA) is tipping the country’s three-member team to shine at the 2024 edition of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup which tees off at Chukyo Golf Club's Ishino Course in Nagoya, Japan next week. Coached by Simon Murungweni, the team comprising Tanaka Chatora, Keegan Shutt and Tawana Mangoma left the country on Wednesday for the prestigious. Zimbabwe qualified for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup after finishing second at the All-Africa Junior Golf Team Championship in Johannesburg in April.
Shutt, Chatora, Braydon Amm and Mangoma produced an impressive final round of two-under par 214 to finish the tournament on a score of 18-over-par 882 and book a ticket to the elite junior competition.
ZGA president Martin Chikwanha says the team goes to the event as winners.
“To be honest, just being there means these boys are winners because they earned a place to be there after finishing second at the qualification event. They will experience the best golf practices there while they compete with their peers,” Chikwanha told Golf Zone.
“We also have one eye on the future. I was fortunate to be in South Africa with these boys at the All-Africa Junior Golf Team Championship and they played as if their world depended on it. They played with courage and conviction; and they did well so we are proud of them. I know they will give their all in Japan,” he added.
Shutt and Chatora recently competed in Africa Region 5 Golf Challenge in Zambia as they guided Zimbabwe to a third place finish after the hosts and South Africa respectively while they also did well on an individual level.
It was Shutt who emerged the best placed Zimbabwean golfer at the event after finishing in fourth place after shooting rounds of 74 69 and 80 on the par 73 course.
Chatora was seventh on 6 – over par 225 after carding 76, 75 and 74. Chikwanha felt the team’s participation at the Junior Golf World Cup is a reflection of the efforts they have put in to develop golf in the country.
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“It is stands for what we have been trying to achieve all along in terms of golf development. The future is bright for Zimbabwean golf. We do not strive to be just a golf nation but to sit and mingle with the other top nations in World golf. And as it stands I can say we have achieved that and we are there on merit.
“This competition represents the best junior golfers in the world and is why we also are talking about qualification for the Olympics. It means there is a pipeline and a structure for development which is functional. We believe we are on the right track and we continue to strive to be better and to be recognised at the big stages,” he said.
Zimbabwe will be making a return to the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup for the first time in seven years. The tournament, which will feature teams from 12 countries, will be celebrating its 30th edition this year.
This year the boys’ field includes three-player teams from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, England, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, United States and Zimbabwe.
