Zimbabwe Open

Tournament 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 3,000,000
Month played	May
Tournament record score
Aggregate	266 Nick Price (1995)
To par	−22 as above
Current champion
	Luis Carrera
Location map
	Royal Harare GC Location in Zimbabwe
	Show more

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

History

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 was anticipated that the tournament would become a European Tour event in 2024 instead.^[7] Again, this never came to fruition.

Winners

Year	Tour^[a]	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Venue	Ref.
FBC Zim Open
2025	AFR	Luis Carrera	270	−18	4 strokes	Austin Bautista	Royal Harare	^[8]
2024	AFR	Michael Hollick	268	−20	2 strokes	Darren Fichardt	Royal Harare	^[9]
2023	AFR	Neil Schietekat	277	−11	4 strokes	Jaco Ahlers Jacques P. de Villiers Peter Karmis	Royal Harare	^[10]
2022	AFR	Albert Venter	278	−10	Playoff	Louis Albertse Stefan Wears-Taylor	Royal Harare	^[11]
Zimbabwe Open
2021: No tournament
2020	AFR	No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019	AFR	Cancelled due to lack of funding						^[12]
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	^[13]
1991	CHA	Keith Waters	282	−6	Playoff	Nick Price Grant Turner	Chapman	^[14]
1990	SAF	Grant Turner	281	−7	1 stroke	Lee Jones	Chapman	^[15]
1989	SAF	Vijay Singh	282	−6	2 strokes	Mark Mouland	Chapman	^[16]
1988	SAF	Roger Chapman	275^[c]	−6	1 stroke	Vijay Singh	Chapman	^[17]^[18]
1987	SAF	Gordon J. Brand	277	−11	Playoff	Andrew Murray	Royal Harare	^[19]
1986	SAF	Stephen Bennett	277	−11	2 strokes	Stuart Reese	Royal Harare	^[20]
1985	SAF	Malcolm MacKenzie	281	−7	3 strokes	David Llewellyn	Chapman	^[21]
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

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

References

^ "Zimbabwe Open to bounce back". Zimbabwe Independent. 30 July 2004. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
^ "Zim Open hits a bunker". Zimbabwe Standard. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
^ "Zimbabwe Open to bounce back". Zimbabwe Herald. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
^ "Financiers pull plug on Zim Open". 25 July 2019.
^ "FBC Sponsors 2022 Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament". FBC Bank Limited. 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
^ "Zim Open set to earn DP World Tour status". Zimbabwe Independent. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
^ "FBC Zim Open organisers eye DP World Tour status in 2024". The Standard. Zimbabwe. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^ "Carrera Breaks the Curse! Mexican storm ends 24-year South African dominance at Zim Open". The Herald. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
^ "Hollick bags second Sunshine Tour title with Zim Open win". SuperSport. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
^ Vlismas, Michael (7 May 2023). "Schietekat back in winner's circle". SuperSport. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
^ "SA's Venter wins FBC Zim Open title". NewsDay. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
^ Chitsiga, Takudzwa (11 July 2019). "Zim Open tourney cancelled again". The Chronicle. Zimbabwe. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
^ "Zim golfers stage big win" (PDF). The Namibian. 16 January 1992. p. 11.
^ "Scunthorpe's Waters on the crest of a wave". The Guardian. 14 January 1991. p. 15.
^ "England's Grant Turner". The Herald. Glasgow. 15 January 1990. p. 19.
^ "In Harare, Zimbabwe". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 January 1989. p. 41.
^ "Roger Chapman". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 February 1988. p. 10.
^ "Richard Fish". The Herald. Glasgow. 19 February 1988. p. 39.
^ "Tournament favourite". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 February 1987. p. 10.
^ "Zimbabwe Open goes to Bennett by two strokes". The Herald. Glasgow. 24 March 1986. p. 13.
^ "Mackenzie hooks his way to victory". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1985. p. 13.

External links

Coverage on the Sunshine Tour's official site

[8] AFR − Sunshine Tour; CHA − Challenge Tour; SAF − Safari Circuit.

[14] Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

[19] Two holes were unplayable on day one.

[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. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. 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.

[9] "Carrera Breaks the Curse! Mexican storm ends 24-year South African dominance at Zim Open". The Herald. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.

[10] "Hollick bags second Sunshine Tour title with Zim Open win". SuperSport. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2025.

[11] Vlismas, Michael (7 May 2023). "Schietekat back in winner's circle". SuperSport. Retrieved 7 May 2023.

[12] "SA's Venter wins FBC Zim Open title". NewsDay. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.

[13] Chitsiga, Takudzwa (11 July 2019). "Zim Open tourney cancelled again". The Chronicle. Zimbabwe. Retrieved 15 July 2022.

[15] "Zim golfers stage big win" (PDF). The Namibian. 16 January 1992. p. 11.

[16] "Scunthorpe's Waters on the crest of a wave". The Guardian. 14 January 1991. p. 15.

[17] "England's Grant Turner". The Herald. Glasgow. 15 January 1990. p. 19.

[18] "In Harare, Zimbabwe". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 January 1989. p. 41.

[20] "Roger Chapman". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 February 1988. p. 10.

[21] "Richard Fish". The Herald. Glasgow. 19 February 1988. p. 39.

[22] "Tournament favourite". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 February 1987. p. 10.

[23] "Zimbabwe Open goes to Bennett by two strokes". The Herald. Glasgow. 24 March 1986. p. 13.

[24] "Mackenzie hooks his way to victory". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1985. p. 13.

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v t e Sunshine Tour events
Tournaments in playing order
Waterfall City Tournament of Champions FBC Zim Open Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am SunBet Challenge (Sun City) Mopani Zambia Open SunBet Challenge (Wild Coast) FNB Eswatini Challenge Vodacom Origins of Golf at Highland Gate SunBet Challenge (Time Square Casino) Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge Bain's Whisky Ubunye Championship Vodacom Origins of Golf at Sishen SunBet Challenge (Sun Sibaya) Vodacom Origins of Golf at Wild Coast Sun Fortress Invitational Blue Label Challenge Vodacom Origins of Golf Final PGA Championship Alfred Dunhill Championship (E) AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (E) Mediclinic Invitational SDC Open (C) MyGolfLife Open (C) Cell C Cape Town Open (C) NTT Data Pro-Am (C) Hyundai Open Investec South African Open Championship (E) Joburg Open (E) Serengeti Invitational The Tour Championship
(C) – co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour; (E) – co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

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