FBC Holdings Group were unveiled as the new title sponsors of the Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament during the launch of the 2022 edition of the flagship golf tournament at Royal Harare Golf Club on Wednesday.
Now known as the FBC Zim Open, the tournament will make its return on the local sporting calendar next month after a year three hiatus due to exchange rate challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The popular golf event will be played at Royal Harare Golf Club and Chapman Golf Club from May 19 to 22 while the traditional pre-qualifier and pro-am tournaments will be played from May 16 to 18.
A star-studded field of 192 golfers from the continent around the world is anticipated for this year’s event as the participants battle for the coveted title which was last won by South African Bryce Easton in 2018.
FBC Holdings Group headline the list of sponsors who have come on board to support the event.
Old Mutual, who were the title sponsors in 2018 remain a part of the tournament as one of the associate sponsors together with Delta Beverages and OK Zimbabwe while the anchor Sponsors, include Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe and Sahwira Events.
FBC Holdings Group’s managing director Webster Rusere said the sponsorship package of ZWL$12 500 000 towards the Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament’s prize fund is part of their corporate social impact initiatives.
“As you may be aware, the FBC Holdings Group, sponsored $12 500 000 towards the Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament as part of our corporate social impact initiatives aimed at enabling the well-being of the communities we serve,” Rusere said.
“Our title sponsorship of the 2022 Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament bears testimony to our firm commitment in playing a pivotal role in promoting the development of golf as a sport in Zimbabwe and the African continent at large,” he said.
FBC In The Community! We sponsored the 2022 Zimbabwe Open Golf Tournament as part of our CSR activities
FBCH is committed towards playing a pivotal role in promoting the development of Golf as a sport in Zimbabwe and the African Continent at large pic.twitter.com/98TsEHCQ3g
— FBC Holdings Limited (@FBCHoldings) April 13, 2022
Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee chairman Livingstone Gwata thanked the sponsors for their continued support for the tournament even during difficult times.
“We are very thankful ladies and gentlemen to our sponsors and partners who have supported this national tournament over the years and sometimes through very difficult economic times. It takes the generosity and corporate social responsibility of our sponsors to make an event of this nature possible,” Gwata said.
The veteran golf administrator also revealed that due to its popularity as stature on the Sunshine Tour, FBC Zim Open will from next year become a co-sanctioned event on the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour.
“The excellent manner in which the Zimbabwe Open has been run over the years has not gone unnoticed. Our tour partners, the Sunshine Tour represented here by their Tournament Director, Garry Todd, were invited by the European Tour (now rebranded as the DP World Tour) to recommend countries outside South Africa that could successfully stage a European tour event and they had no hesitation in putting Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Open forward for inclusion in the European Tour. It is therefore expected that the 2023 Zimbabwe Open will be co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the DP World Tour. Congratulations and well done to all those that have made this lofty promotion possible. The 2022 FBC Zimbabwe Open will therefore be a dress rehearsal for the co-sanctioned tournament in 2023,” he said.