Fifteen-year-old Nathan van Rooyen of Royal Harare Golf Club etched his name into the annals of Zimbabwean golf history last Sunday, becoming the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Zimbabwe Amateur Championship.
His triumph at Chapman Golf Club in Harare also secured him a coveted spot in next year's FBC Zimbabwe Open.
Van Rooyen, a student at St. John's College, demonstrated remarkable composure and skill to clinch a three-shot victory in the country's premier amateur event.
He finished with a five-over-par 293 over 72 holes, outpacing defending champion Keegan Shutt, who carded an eight-over-par 296.
Munesu Chimhini secured third place with a total of nine-over-par 297 in four rounds.
Reflecting on his historic achievement, van Rooyen stated: "I attribute this win to my first round. I felt a bit of pressure over the last three holes of the final round.
“ I am thrilled to qualify for the Zimbabwe Open, I’ve missed the cut in the pre-qualifier before. The course was in good condition, and I will definitely be playing in more events going forward.”
van Rooyen opened the tournament with a superb six-under-par 66, establishing an early five-shot lead over Michael Wallace and Mudiwa Chikochi.
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While his second round saw a six-over 78, bringing him back to level par, he rebounded with a steady even-par 72 in the third round.
Despite closing with a five-over 77, it proved sufficient to lift the coveted trophy.
The tournament, sponsored by Vonlet Security Services, saw 54 golfers compete.
In the women's championship, Margaret Nyamukondiwa delivered a dominant performance, successfully defending her title with a total of 14-over-par 302.
Nyamukondiwa, who finished eighth overall on the combined leaderboard, was the only woman in the top 10.
"Congratulations to Margret Nyamukondiwa (+14) who retained the Zimbabwe Amateur by a whopping 13 shots at Chapman Golf Club in Harare. Well done!!" read a congratulatory message by the Zimbabwe Golf Association on their social media platforms.
She carded rounds of 73, 76, 79, and 74 to seal her consecutive victories.
