Leading Zimbabwean junior golfer Michael Wallace got the New Year off to a solid start by putting on a commendable display at the 59th Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship in Florida in the US on Friday.
The gifted Royal Harare Golf Club-based junior carded rounds of 77, 73, 68 and 77 at the Biltmore Golf Club in Coral Cables, Florida for a total of 11-over-par 295 to finish in a three-way tie for position 22 on the leaderboard.
Wallace, who was the only Zimbabwean in the field for the prestigious competition said although he would’ve hoped for a better finish, he is still happy with his performance in Florida.
“What a week! (I) had a great time playing the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship. Not the finish I was hoping for but still happy with how I did. Learnt a lot playing in different conditions with different competition. Huge thanks to Fastjet for their support and to Srixon Golf for their help with keeping me stocked with equipment each week. Good start to 2023 and can’t wait for what’s next,” Wallace wrote on Instagram after the tournament.
This year’s edition of the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship was won by American Jay Brooks after he carded brilliant rounds of 70, 69, 69 and 68 for a total of eight under-par 276.
Brooks finished two shots clear of Italy’s Marco Floriori, who finished second on six-under-par.
Morocco’s Hugo Trommetter was the highest-placed African in the field in sixth position on two-under-par.
Although Wallace missed out on a top 10 was the second-highest African on the leaderboard after finishing ahead of the South African duo of Joshua Koekemoer and Jack Bruman, who settled for 30th and 38th respectively.
The late Lewis Chitengwa Junior remains the only Zimbabwean to have won the prestigious competition following his victory in 1992 when he beat American Tiger Woods to win the Orange Bowl in Florida, United States.