Zambia Ladies Open turns fortune to Arusha lady

TANZANIAN lady Loveness Mungure fought to win four categories in the Zambia Ladies Open Golf Championship over the weekend.

The three-day 54 holes tournament at Bonanza Golf Club in Lusaka brought on course top players from China, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and hosts Zambia.

Mungure, from the Kili golf club of Arusha, overpowered her tough opponents to win four prizes in the bronze category (handicap 21-36) of the tournament.

Playing off handicap 24, Mungure impressively won the bronze category’s overall gross title after grossing 271 (87, 95, 89) in the three rounds of the tournament.

She also grabbed the best Day One gross prize after carving 87 strokes and Day Three gross 89 strokes. Finally, she ended her onslaught with a Day Two Stableford points prize.

Joyful Mungure told the ‘Daily News’ after the tournament that she felt so blessed to win such titles in her maiden event.

“The competition was difficult from day one to end, other competitors were also very strong, but I tried hard with no intention of giving up.

“The second day was even harder as I could neither find my swing nor putting, I struggled all day long, but I tried to recover on the closing round, which paid off a lot. I thank God I made it,” she stressed.

Three golfers represented Tanzania in the 54-hole annual showdown.

Playing off handicap 7, Vicky Elias from Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) Lugalo Club of Dar es Salaam and Aalaa Riyaz Somji with handicap six from Arusha Gymkhana Club (AGC) competed in the championship category for players below 12.

Elias worked very hard to finish 8th overall with an aggregate score of  250 (83, 86, 82), while Somji (handicap 6) had a tough going in the first round with 92 collected mistakes to stamp 85 and 86 strokes in round two and closing round to write an aggregate score of 263 to finish at the 18th place.

The report shows Zimbabwean golfers dominated the tournament after winning all three top prizes.

Margret Nyamukondiwa, with handicap three, overpowered her closest challengers to grab the overall winner’s prize after grossing 224 (76, 72, 76).

Her countrymate Kudzai Mandava with handicap 4, finished overall runner-up with six, inferior to the winner after returning an aggregate score of 230 (75, 81, 74).

Yollander Mubaiwa, who penned 232 (79, 79, 74), finished third overall above host Kaela Mulenga who carded 237 (77,77, 83).

Defending champion Annie Nsama from Zambia finished sixth overall with 243 strokes.