Zimbabwe Open

Golf tournament

Golf tournament

FBC Zim OpenTournament information

Location| Harare, Zimbabwe
Established| 1979
Course(s)| Royal Harare Golf Club
Chapman Golf Club
Par| 72
Length| 7,241 yards (6,621 m) (RH)
7,198 yards (6,582 m) (C)
Tour(s)| Sunshine Tour
Challenge Tour
Safari Circuit
Format| Stroke play
Prize fund| R 2,500,000
Month played| May
Tournament record score
Aggregate| 266 Nick Price (1995)
To par| −22 as above
Current champion
Michael Hollick
Location map

Royal Harare GC

Location in Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Open is a professional golf tournament held in Zimbabwe, currently played on the Sunshine Tour.

## History

[edit]

The tournament debuted in 1984 and was part of the Safari circuit from 1985 to 1992, a series of events in Africa played by professionals from the European Tour during the winter season. In 1991 and 1992, the event was also part of the Challenge Tour. From 1993, it moved onto the First National Bank Tour, later renamed the Sunshine Tour.[citation needed]

When it was held in the weeks preceding the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the tournament attracted some of the world's leading players who used it as a warm up to the big money invitational. Past winners include major winners Vijay Singh and Nick Price with Mark McNulty also achieving three victories, making him one of the most successful players in the event. Past winner Gordon J. Brand represented the Ryder Cup.[citation needed]

Due to economic instability in Zimbabwe, the tournament lost sponsors and was cancelled prior to the 2002 event. There were many attempts to resurrect the tournament, but none were successful until 2010.[1][2][3] The 2019 edition was also cancelled because of a lack of sponsors caused by a weak economy.[4]

Having not been played in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the tournament returned in 2022, sponsored by FBC Bank.[5] It had been anticipated that the event would be added to the 2023 European Tour schedule.[6] However, this never came to fruition, mainly due to changes in the venue qualifying criteria set by the European Tour. It is anticipated that the tournament will become a European Tour event in 2024 instead.[7]

## Winners

[edit]

Year | Tour[a] | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of
victory | Runner(s)-up | Venue | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

FBC Zim Open
2024 | AFR |  Michael Hollick | 268 | −20 | 2 strokes |  Darren Fichardt | Royal Harare |
2023 | AFR |  Neil Schietekat | 277 | −11 | 4 strokes |  Jaco Ahlers
Jacques P. de Villiers
Peter Karmis | Royal Harare | [8]
2022 | AFR |  Albert Venter | 278 | −10 | Playoff |  Louis Albertse
Stefan Wears-Taylor | Royal Harare | [9]
Zimbabwe Open
2021: No tournament
2020 | AFR | No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
2019 | AFR | Cancelled due to lack of funding | [10]
Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open
2018 | AFR |  Bryce Easton | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke |  Daniel van Tonder | Royal Harare |
Zimbabwe Open
2017 | AFR |  J. C. Ritchie | 272 | −16 | Playoff |  Trevor Fisher Jnr | Royal Harare |
Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open
2016 | AFR |  Lyle Rowe | 277 | −11 | 2 strokes |  Dylan Frittelli | Royal Harare |
2015 | AFR |  Dean Burmester | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke |  Adilson da Silva | Royal Harare |
2014 | AFR |  Jbe' Kruger (2) | 270 | −18 | 1 stroke |  Jacques Blaauw | Royal Harare |
2013 | AFR |  Jake Roos | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke |  Darren Fichardt
Francesco Laporta | Royal Harare |
2012 | AFR |  Chris Swanepoel | 273 | −15 | Playoff |  Trevor Fisher Jnr | Royal Harare |
Africom Zimbabwe Open
2011 | AFR |  Theunis Spangenberg | 201[b] | −15 | 2 strokes |  Matthew Carvell | Royal Harare |
2010 | AFR |  Jbe' Kruger | 269 | −19 | 2 strokes |  Jaco van Zyl | Royal Harare |
2002–2009: No tournament
CABS/Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open
2001 | AFR |  Darren Fichardt | 275 | −13 | 3 strokes |  Mark Murless
Bradford Vaughan | Chapman |
2000 | AFR |  Mark McNulty (3) | 269 | −19 | 1 stroke |  Jean Hugo | Royal Harare |
Zimbabwe Open
1999 | AFR |  Jean Hugo | 271 | −17 | 2 strokes |  Ulrich van den Berg | Chapman |
1998 | AFR |  Nick Price (3) | 271 | −17 | 5 strokes |  Tjaart van der Walt | Royal Harare |
1997 | AFR |  Nick Price (2) | 269 | −19 | 2 strokes |  Mark McNulty
Brenden Pappas | Chapman |
1996 | AFR |  Mark McNulty (2) | 270 | −18 | 4 strokes |  Justin Hobday
Nick Price | Chapman |
1995 | AFR |  Nick Price | 266 | −22 | 1 stroke |  Brenden Pappas | Royal Harare |
1994 | AFR |  Chris Williams | 272 | −16 | Playoff |  Andrew Pitts | Royal Harare |
1993 | AFR |  Tony Johnstone | 273 | −15 | 8 strokes |  Nic Henning
James Kingston | Chapman |
1992 | CHA |  Mark McNulty | 272 | −16 | 9 strokes |  Tony Johnstone | Royal Harare | [11]
1991 | CHA |  Keith Waters | 282 | −6 | Playoff |  Nick Price
Grant Turner | Chapman | [12]
1990 | SAF |  Grant Turner | 281 | −7 | 1 stroke |  Lee Jones | Chapman | [13]
1989 | SAF |  Vijay Singh | 282 | −6 | 2 strokes |  Mark Mouland | Chapman | [14]
1988 | SAF |  Roger Chapman | 275[c] | −6 | 1 stroke |  Vijay Singh | Chapman | [15][16]
1987 | SAF |  Gordon J. Brand | 277 | −11 | Playoff |  Andrew Murray | Royal Harare | [17]
1986 | SAF |  Stephen Bennett | 277 | −11 | 2 strokes |  Stuart Reese | Royal Harare | [18]
1985 | SAF |  Malcolm MacKenzie | 281 | −7 | 3 strokes |  David Llewellyn | Chapman | [19]
1984 |  |  Anderson Rusike (a) |  |  |  |  | Royal Harare |
1981–1983: No tournament
1980 | AFR |  Hugh Baiocchi | 279 | −9 | Playoff |  Allan Henning
Denis Watson | Bulawayo |
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Open
1979 | AFR |  Simon Hobday | 275 | −13 | Playoff |  Denis Watson | Chapman |

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ AFR − Sunshine Tour; CHA − Challenge Tour; SAF − Safari Circuit.
2. ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
3. ^ Two holes were unplayable on day one.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Zimbabwe Open to bounce back". Zimbabwe Independent. 30 July 2004. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
2. ^ "Zim Open hits a bunker". Zimbabwe Standard. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
3. ^ "Zimbabwe Open to bounce back". Zimbabwe Herald. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
4. ^ "Financiers pull plug on Zim Open". 25 July 2019.
5. ^ "FBC Sponsors 2022 Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament". FBC Bank Limited. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
6. ^ "Zim Open set to earn DP World Tour status". Zimbabwe Independent. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
7. ^ "FBC Zim Open organisers eye DP World Tour status in 2024". The Standard. Zimbabwe. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
8. ^ Vlismas, Michael (7 May 2023). "Schietekat back in winner's circle". SuperSport. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
9. ^ "SA's Venter wins FBC Zim Open title". NewsDay. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
10. ^ Chitsiga, Takudzwa (11 July 2019). "Zim Open tourney cancelled again". The Chronicle. Zimbabwe. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
11. ^ "Zim golfers stage big win" (PDF). The Namibian. 16 January 1992. p. 11.
12. ^ "Scunthorpe's Waters on the crest of a wave". The Guardian. 14 January 1991. p. 15.
13. ^ "England's Grant Turner". The Herald. Glasgow. 15 January 1990. p. 19.
14. ^ "In Harare, Zimbabwe". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 January 1989. p. 41.
15. ^ "Roger Chapman". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 February 1988. p. 10.
16. ^ "Richard Fish". The Herald. Glasgow. 19 February 1988. p. 39.
17. ^ "Tournament favourite". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 February 1987. p. 10.
18. ^ "Zimbabwe Open goes to Bennett by two strokes". The Herald. Glasgow. 24 March 1986. p. 13.
19. ^ "Mackenzie hooks his way to victory". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1985. p. 13.

## External links

[edit]

* Sunshine Tour – official site

* v
* t
* e

Sunshine Tour events

Tournaments in playing order

* FBC Zim Open
* Zanaco Masters
* Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am
* SunBet Challenge (Sun City)
* SunBet Challenge (Wild Coast)
* FNB Eswatini Challenge
* Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zebula
* SunBet Challenge (Time Square)
* Bain's Whisky Ubunye Championship
* Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge
* VOG Western Cape
* PGA Championship
* Fortress Invitational
* Blue Label Challenge
* VOG KZN
* SunBet Challenge (Sun Sibaya)
* Vodacom Origins of Golf Final
* Nedbank Golf Challenge (E)

(C) - co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour; (E) - co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
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