* The R&A Africa Amateur Golf Championship is a prestigious event that showcases some of the best amateur golf talent
* Rodrick and Longwe are talented golfers who have earned their participation following their top form
By Duncan Mlanjira
Two of the country’s top amateur golfers, Folindo Rodrick and Kamoza Longwe are representing Malawi at the R&A Africa Amateur Golf Championship 2024 being hosted by South Africa from Wednesday to Saturday (February 21-24).
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The R&A Africa Amateur Golf Championship is a prestigious event that showcases some of the best amateur golf talent from across the continent and Rodrick and Longwe are talented golfers who have earned their participation following their top form.
Accompanying them as manager is Khumbo Mkandawire who said their participation in this championship, “will not only provide them with valuable experience and exposure but also help raise the profile of golf in Malawi”.
“Today and tomorrow, they will be doing practice rounds at the Leopard Creek golf course in Mpumalanga in readiness for the competition that will take place on the same course.
“Golf Union of Malawi wishes Folindo and Kamoza the best of luck and hope they perform to the best of their ability.”
Mkandawire and his two players
According to amateurgolf.com, the Africa Amateur Championship will feature 72 of the continent’s most promising elite men’s amateur golfers.
“Set against the stunning backdrop of the Kruger National Park, the inaugural championship will provide a world-class platform for the region’s rising talent to compete against each other, with golfers representing 24 nations making up the field,” said the website.
The winner will earn exemptions into the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, The Amateur Championship, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq, providing life-changing opportunities for the eventual champion.
The week will also see 20 elite women’s amateur golfers compete over 54 holes in the first playing of the Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational.
The Leopard Creek golf course
The winner will earn starts in the Women’s Amateur Championship, final qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open; the Investec South African Women’s Open in 2024; the Lalla Meryem Cup and Magical Kenya Ladies Open in 2025.
Chief development officer at the R&A, Phil Anderton is quoted as saying: “The creation of the Africa Amateur Championship and Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational reflects our commitment to fostering talent, creating a pathway for aspiring golfers, and elevating the standard of amateur golf in the region.
“We want to replicate the success we’ve achieved in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, where our international events for both men and women have become proven platforms for discovering future stars of the sport.
“A number of these talented golfers have gone on to become major champions and be successful on professional tours, inspiring others to pursue their ambitions in golf.
“We are thankful for the fantastic support we have received from Mr. Johann Rupert, who is a committed and passionate partner, in staging these events at the wonderful Leopard Creek, and we look forward to seeing who emerges from the field to etch their names into history as the first winners of these events.”
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Christian Maas is the highest ranked player in the field for the Africa Amateur Championship at 14th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) and will be hoping that previous success at Leopard Creek, where he has finished as the leading amateur in the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the DP World Tour for the last two years, will give him the edge.
The 20-year-old South African also enjoyed a successful season last year in which he finished runner-up in the Western Amateur in the United States, was selected for the International team in the Arnold Palmer Cup, and earned Second Team All-American honors at the University of Texas.
He is joined by fellow South Africans Altin van der Merwe (176), runner-up at the recent Free State Open, and 2023 Northern Amateur Open champion Daniel Bennett (289), who has already won this year at the NOMADS Coastal and won the 2023 NOMADS South Africa U19 Stroke Play by 21 strokes with a score of 34-under-par.
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