Team Zimbabwe had an impressive first round performance, sitting in sixth place on a total 2–under par 140 at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup which finally teed off at the Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota City (Nagoya), Japan yesterday.
The Toyota Junior Golf World Cup was supposed to tee off on Tuesday, but play was postponed due to incessant rains.
Zimbabwe is among the 12 countries taking part in the men’s competition after sending a three-member team, which includes Keegan Shutt, Tawana Mangoma and Tanaka Chatora.
It was Shutt who carried the team in the first round after shooting a solid 2–under par 69 on the par 71 course, while Mangoma managed level par and Chatora had a difficult first day where he carded 6–over par 77.
According to the format of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, only two scores from each nation’s three-player roster are counted towards the team total.
Thus, the team total includes Shutt’s 69 and the 71 shot by Mangoma.
Korea sits on top of the team standings on 8–under par, a shot ahead of the United States and Japan, who are tied for second place on 7–under, while Sweden and Argentina are also in fourth place, two strokes adrift of the leaders.
England (7th), Mexico (8th), Canada (9th), Colombia (10th) as well as Australia and South Africa, in a tie for 11th place, complete the team standings after round 1.
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Shutt is the highest-ranked Zimbabwean on the individual leader board in a five-way tie for 10th after his 69 first round score and is four strokes behind Gunwoong Park from Korea on shot 65.
There is a three-way tie for second involving Bally Davis from the United States, Japanese Mao Matsuyama and Sweden’s August Petersson on 4–under.
Five players, namely Jackson Byrd (US), Seiji Hokaiwado (Japan), Julio Goti (Argentina), Filipe Suarez (Argentina) and William Jennings (US), were also in a tie for fifth place after carding 68 in the first round.
Mangoma closed the day in a tie for 18th out of 36 golfers, while Chatora shared 33rd place with Frank Cabez from Mexico and Argentine Ignacio Laulhe.
