SOUTH African Marno Lange played some beautiful golf after carded a 4-under-par 68 score to take a shot lead on the first day of the First Capital Bank Zimbabwe Junior Golf Open which teed off at the Borrowdale Brooke Golf Club yesterday.
Lange who plays off a plus 3.2 handicap index came into the tournament as one of the favourites behind Dylan Kayne who boast of a plus five handicap.
Tied for second after the first 18 holes is another South African Devon Valentine and local favourite Keegan Shutt who finished the day one stroke adrift on 3-under-par 69.
Shutt will be fancying his chances in the second edition of the premier junior golf competition in the country after he finished third at the inaugural event last year.
Connor Olfsen and Kayne both from South Africa were tied in fourth place with a score of 2-under, while inform 16-year-old Zimbabwean golfer Tanaka Chatora is in sixth place on 1-under.
The South Africans were absolutely dominant in the girls class as they occupied the top four places.
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Charlotte Millard and Ellandri van Heerden Tues for top spot on 5-over par while compatriots Phenyo Sebata and Orateng Maphake shot 6-over and 8-over, respectively, in third and fourth place.
In fifth place was Maru Chokwe from Botswana who carded a 10-over score on the first day.
Zimbabweans Miriam Masiya, Shamain Mhundwa and Zarina Makwarimba struggled on the first and will be looking for a change of fortune in the second round today.
A total of 61 players from eight different countries registered to take part in the competition, 49 of them boys and 12 girls.
Countries such as South Africa, China, Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe are represented in a tournament which is sponsored to the tune of US$20 000 by one of the country's fastest growing banks, First Capital Bank.
First Capital Bank managing director Ciaran McSharry was the guest of honour at the official opening ceremony and flag raising ceremony for the event on Thursday evening.
Action continues today starting at 8am.