The Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union (ZLGU) is basking in the success of their highly successful Fundraising Golf Day, which raised crucial funds for the upcoming All Africa Challenge Trophy in Nigeria and other major international assignments.
The event, held last Thursday at the ZRP Golf Club in Harare, saw a vibrant field of 65 male and female golfers taking to the course.
Blantina Mpofu stole the spotlight on the leaderboard, clinching the tournament with an impressive 40 points playing off a 22 handicap.
However, the ultimate highlight of the day belonged to Priscilla Makurumure, who sent the crowd into a frenzy by sinking a spectacular hole-in-one on the 16th hole.
The initiative received massive backing from the broader Zimbabwe golf fraternity, including the Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA).
Players travelled from far and wide, including one dedicated female golfer who made the journey all the way from Mutare.
The field boasted an array of talent, featuring veteran top female amateur golfer Batsirai Tilowakuti, alongside male professionals Pride Sembo and Biggie Chibvuri, who turned out in solidarity.
Speaking in an exclusive interview after the tournament, an ecstatic ZLGU president, Marita Kahwema, expressed her profound delight and humility at the overwhelming support the union received.
- Zim ladies team competes at All Africa Challenge Trophy
- Wallace ends the year with Zim Matchplay triumph
- Free exhibition as OWIT Zim fair roars to life
- Zim ladies set for Southern Region All-Africa Challenge
Keep Reading
"We are very excited with the turnout. We are very excited with how we did,” Kahwema said.
“It was short notice, but we managed to get over 20 teams registering to come out and play. And we had about 65 players coming out to play.
“Today is a Thursday, so it's not very easy to get people to come out and play on a Thursday, which is midweek.
“But the golf courses are all fully booked for Friday, and we only managed to get a Thursday, but still people supported us very much. And so we are excited and humbled and forever grateful for all our sponsors."
Kahwema revealed the objectives of the fundraising golf day.
"So we have tournaments that are on our calendar, which are international tournaments. For example, we have the All Africa Challenge Trophy that is going to be played in Nigeria from the 2nd of November.
“We need to make four or five members travel. And so we are raising money towards their tickets and the travel for this tournament.
"Sure, what we have raised may not be enough, but it's something. So when we then approach our corporate sponsors for assistance, we are not now approaching them for the whole amount.
“But at least we can say to them, we've done something, we have worked towards that, and we are now only asking for a top-up. So it's towards those tournaments.
“We also have a tournament for juniors that is scheduled to take place in Namibia. We are also wanting to try and find [funds for] those kids. So that was the support of the sponsors," she said.
The ZLGU president was also overwhelmed by the support which they got from male golfers in making their fundraising gold day a major success.
"That is a very critical element and highlight of today's Golf Day,” Kahwema said.
“When you see men coming together, leaving their business diaries and schedules to come in and support initiatives made by women, that shows you how men are also wanting the development of golf for women, wanting us, the women, to grow the sport and to have confidence in ourselves.
“So we appreciate all the men who took time to come in and support us.
“We also appreciate all the male-led organisations and individuals that actually paid some money to come in and support us as well."
While the number of women who play golf nowadays continues to swell, Kahwema feels the majority of them still shy away from playing competitive golf.
"There's a lot that still needs to be done in terms of encouraging women to participate, especially to participate competitively.
“So, we have a lot of women who are playing golf or who are joining to play golf, but they only play golf socially or they only play during corporate golf days.
“We still have to encourage or to make these ladies see the importance of playing competitive golf.
" So we have a lot of work to do there. I was actually talking to the Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA) and we were saying to ourselves, maybe we need to have some training for our club captains and see how we can actually encourage our many ladies to come in and play golf in a competitive way."
