Zimbabwe Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Established | 1984 |
| Course(s) | Royal Harare GC |
| Tour(s) | Sunshine Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | R 1,800,000 |
| Month played | April |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 266 Nick Price (1995) |
| To par | −22 Nick Price (1995) |
| Current champion | |
 J. C. Ritchie | |
The Zimbabwe Open is a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour. It was first played in 1984 and was part of what was known as the Safari Tour, a collection of events in Africa that were played by professionals based on the European Tour during their winter. As a result, it became an event on the European-based Challenge Tour in 1991, where it remained for two seasons before moving onto the FNB Summer Tour, which became the Southern Africa Tour and later the Sunshine Tour.
When it was held in the weeks preceding the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the tournament attracted some of the world's leading players, as they used it as a warm up to the big money invitational. Past winners include major winners Vijay Singh and Nick Price, who along with Mark McNulty is the most successful player at the event, both men having recorded three victories. Ryder Cup player Gordon J Brand is also a past winner.
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]
Winners
| Year | Venue | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe Open | |||
| 2017 | Royal Harare Golf Club | J. C. Ritchie | 272 (−16)PO |
| Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open | |||
| 2016 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Lyle Rowe | 277 (−11) |
| 2015 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Dean Burmester | 272 (−16) |
| 2014 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Jbe' Kruger | 270 (−18) |
| 2013 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Jake Roos | 274 (−14) |
| 2012 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Chris Swanepoel | 273 (−15)PO |
| Africom Zimbabwe Open | |||
| 2011 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Theunis Spangenberg | 201 (−15)^ |
| 2010 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Jbe' Kruger | 269 (−19) |
| CABS Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open | |||
| 2002–09 | No tournament | ||
| 2001 | Chapman Golf Club | Darren Fichardt | 275 (−13) |
| 2000 | Royal Harare Golf Club |  Mark McNulty | 269 (−19) |
| Zimbabwe Open | |||
| 1999 | Chapman Golf Club | Jean Hugo | 271 (−17) |
| 1998 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Nick Price | 271 (−17) |
| 1997 | Chapman Golf Club | Nick Price | 269 (−19) |
| 1996 | Chapman Golf Club | Mark McNulty | 270 (−18) |
| 1995 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Nick Price | 266 (−22) |
| 1994 | Royal Harare Golf Club |  Chris Williams | 272 (−16)PO |
| 1993 | Chapman Golf Club | Tony Johnstone | 273 (−15) |
| 1992 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Mark McNulty | 272 (−16) |
| 1991 | Chapman Golf Club | Keith Waters | 282 (−6)PO |
| 1990 | Chapman Golf Club | Grant Turner | 281 (−7) |
| 1989 | Chapman Golf Club |  Vijay Singh | 282 (−6) |
| 1988 | Chapman Golf Club | Roger Chapman | 275 (−6)* |
| 1987 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Gordon J. Brand | 277 (−11)PO |
| 1986 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Stephen Bennett | 277 (−11) |
| 1985 | Chapman Golf Club | Malcolm MacKenzie | 281 (−7) |
| 1984 | Royal Harare Golf Club | Anderson Rusike (am) | |
^ – Weather shortened to 54 holes.
* – Two holes were unplayable on day one.
PO – Won after a playoff.
am – Amateur.
References
- ↑ "Zimbabwe Open to bounce back". Zimbabwe Independent. 30 July 2004. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ "Zim Open hits a bunker". Zimbabwe Standard. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ "Zimbabwe Open to bounce back". Zimbabwe Herald. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
External links
- Sunshine Tour – official site