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WHEN Trust Bank was placed under curatorship in 2006, Tongo Charamba almost waved goodbye to professional golf.
But today, TC as he is affectionately known is the second highest paid black golfer in Africa. He has so far earned R147 579,60 in five tournaments this season.
The 26-year old’s career earnings stand at R1, 3 million raked in, in 114 tournaments.
Charamba tails the highest earning black pro-South’ Africa’s James Kamte, who has earned R713 053,90 in five tournaments this season alone.
The soft-spoken Charamba has two titles under his belt, the SAA Pro-Am Invitational, which earned him R54 950 in 2006 and raked in R158 100 in the MTC Namibia PGA in 2008.
Celestine Gadzikwa, the pro’s manager for the last five years attributes Tongo’s success to discipline.
He said the golfing world has not seen anything yet from Tongo.
“I have never seen such a disciplined athlete. He is a non-smoker although he occasionally sips a cider. The world over sportspersons be it footballers or golfers are known not to be very disciplined but Tongo is above average.
“I see him going places because the lifespan of a golfer is longer than that of other sportspersons like footballers. If a footballer manages to play into his thirties then he is lucky.
“But with golf if one remains focused he can play even in his fifties because he can join the Seniors Tour. That's the reason why players like Nick Price are still playing,” Gadzikwa said.
Gadzikwa said the amazing thing about pro golf is that “you make money while you are enjoying the game”.
Tongo started playing as a teenager in the mid-1990s at the urging of his brother, Tapiwa, who was a caddie at the Police Golf Club before turning pro in 2003, after sweeping everything on offer in the amateur ranks.
He inked a contract with Trust Bank in 2004 but faced with no sponsor a few months later almost dumped pro golfer as the financial institution faced problems.
“I think perseverance has paid for Tongo because he almost ditched golf when his sponsor faced problems. That is when I began my association with him. As a pro golfer you need money to cover travel and hotel expenses. Tongo soldiered on,” Gadzikwa said.
Today Charamba, a seasoned pro on the Sunshine Tour, receives golfing apparel from top sports company Swagg. He also receives golf balls from internationally renowned club manufacturer Titlist.
Zimbabwe has 13 pros on the Sunshine Tour and four of these Charamba, Marc Cayeux, Ryan Cairns and Sean Farrell have so far earned cash on the circuit.
The other players have not earned anything on the Tour in the last two months and are not on the current Order of Merit.
The new entrants on the Sunshine Tour are Julius Kamalizeni, Anyway Katembenuka, Nick McDonald and Mohammed Mandhu, who joined the circuit this season.
Cayeux, who is now based in South Africa, is the highest earning Zimbabwean on the Sunshine Tour. He is ranked 28 on the Order of Merit and has raked in R220 336 in five tournaments.
Charamba tails him in position 38 having earned R147 579 in the same number of tournaments.
Cairns is ranked 113 on the Order of Merit after earning R7 140 in five tournaments. Farrell is ranked 108. He earned R8 347 in five tournaments.
The South African pros are the leading earners on the Sunshine Tour. Charl Schwartzel is perched at the summit having earned R3,8 million in two tournaments.
It remains to been seen whether the South African pros will steamroll the Zimbabweans, when the Sunshine Tour makes its stop for the Zimbabwe Open from April 18-24.
The premier golf tournament in Zimbabwe was last held in 2001 but failed to tee off over the years as financial constraints forced several organisers to shelve the competition. The tournament has been officially readmitted to the Sunshine Tour.
BY FANUEL VIRIRI
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