...sets eyes on amateur contest
Inform teenage golfer Keegan Shutt has set his sights on winning the biggest amateur event in the country, the Zimbabwe Amateur championship, following his success at the Champion of Champions in Bulawayo last weekend.
The Zim Amateur, which is expected to attract some of the country’s top golfers, tees off today at Chapman Golf Club and is set to conclude on Sunday.
Shutt won his third title of the year after he shot an overall 3 – under par 213 score to win his maiden Champion of Champions title at Bulawayo Golf Club.
The 18-year-old golfer bagged the 2024 edition of the Chapman Grand Slam in Harare at the beginning of July to add to his Royal Harare club championships title he won in May.
He will be gunning for an unprecedented third title in one month when he competes in the Zim Amateur.
“It was my first time to play Champion of Champions and I am happy to have won it although it is a small tournament with only about 30 people playing. I am happy to win it but I look forward to the biggest event of the year this weekend when I play Zim Amateur,” he told this publication.
In Bulawayo last weekend Shutt shot rounds of 70 70 and 73 in 54 holes to enjoy a five stroke lead over his nearest rival Shepherd Chiwaya, the Wingate Golf Club champion, who carded 74 72 and 73 for a 2 – over par 218 total.
Barry Painting from Bulawayo tied for third along with Leon Mushonga, three shots behind Chiwaya while Mashonaland West Amateur Golf Tournament (MAWEGU) champion Elton Zulu completed the top five.
At the Zim Amateur, Shutt will be buoyed by the impressive performance he put up the last time he played at Chapman when he shot an overall 8 - under par after three rounds to win the Grand Slam earlier this month.
It has been a good year for Shutt who led the Zimbabwe team at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup which took place in Japan last month and finished a commendable 15th place out of 36 on the individual leaderboard last month.
In February, Shutt set a new course record of 10-under par 62 at Leopard Creek in South Africa at the inaugural Africa Amateur Championship while he also helped Zimbabwe to second place finish at the All Africa Junior Golf Team Championship.