Zimbabwe golf prodigy Keegan Shutt is aiming to win the 2025 edition of the First Capital Bank Zimbabwe Junior Open tournament which is his last tournament as a junior golfer.
Shutt turns 19 next month and will not be eligible to play in junior event.
The young Zimbabwean golfer made a positive start to the tournament which teed off on Friday, shooting an impressive 2 – under par 70 to tie for third place, one shot behind leaders Craig Cilliers and Tristan Boise on 3 – under par 69.
First Capital Bank is sponsoring the country’s biggest junior golf event for the fourth year running.
It is an event which has been dominated by golfers from South Africa and Shutt is aiming to become the first Zimbabwean to win the boys competition since it’s inception in 2022.
Shutt reflected on his first round performance on Friday as well as the importance of the tournament for him.
“I am very happy this is my last junior tournament, being the biggest junior tournament in Zimbabwe. I am very glad it’s before I turn 19. Since it’s my last one, I’d like to give it a run and hopefully win the tournament,” he said
“It was not as well as I wanted it to be, but I managed to put the score together. I wasn’t swinging it the best, especially the back nine. I don’t think I hit the fairway on the back nine, so I’m very happy that I managed to keep it together and leave myself with a chance going into tomorrow,” Shutt said of his first round show.
Having a dream season on the local amateur circuit with three wins, Shutt has already bagged the Julius Robinson Trophy, Manicaland and Matebeleland Amateur championships.
Shutt tied for third after the first round along with South African golfer Alex Frankel who also shot a round of 70.
Borrowdale Brooke Golf Club’s golfer Peter Sanders, who is 15, was the surprise of the opening day after carding 71 for a 1 – under score to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place along with Kairav Madurey and Lourenda Steyn from South Africa.
In the girls class , South African golfers occupy the top three places with Lourenda Steyn topping the standings on 1 – under, two ahead of Zoey Rhoda who signed for a round of 73.
Megan Marais shot a round of 74 to sit in third place while Yixuan Mu from China was three shots further back after the first in fourth.
The tournament concludes on Sunday.
