United States-based golfer Danielle Bekker made a triumphal return to the local circuit after she scooped the Manicaland Ladies Strokeplay at Hillside Golf Club in Mutare last weekend.
Bekker has just completed her first year at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky and is currently in the country as she prepares for her second year.
The top amateur golfer shot 76 and 75 over two days to beat longtime rival Margaret Nyamukondiwa, who is also playing collegiate golf in the US, and win the Manicaland event.
The Manicaland Ladies Strokeplay ran concurrently with the Manicaland Amatuer Championship where ironically Bekker finished second behind Nyamukondiwa.
Close to 50 lady golfers participated in the stroke play event.
“It feels really nice (to be back). I have been away for eight months in college so it was nice to play my first tournament here and I can’t wait to play the next two tournaments at Chapman. The competition was pretty good, me and Margaret we are up there in stats. Of course, I fell apart a bit but we always have close competition between me and Margaret. I can't wait to see what happens at Chapman when everybody else plays,” she said.
“My experience has been pretty good. The course was better than expected. The winds were hard to read some times but I was able to get it done. Of course, I played 54 rounds and two rounds were good unfortunately the afternoon did not go as well (Saturday). I couldn’t get anything right but anyway that is how it is sometimes but I am very happy with how I ended up,” she said.
Bekker talked about her experience in collegiate golf where the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics named her an NAIA Third-Team All-American.
She became the 11th student-athlete in programme’s history to earn All-American status, and the first freshman since Krista Burton in 2007 after she helped the Blue Raiders to three tournament wins, a runner-up finish, and one other top-10 placement.
Bekker’s biggest performance came at the Mid-South Conference Championships where she shot one-under par to clinch the program's first conference medalist since Kaitlin Allan in 2011 while she guided Lindsey Wilson to its first league tournament title in 13 years.
“Its great experience practicing with other girls, seeing how they practice, how the coaches at college do the practice, how they plan and how they plan for the tournament. It was quite different and I think I enjoyed it and noted a few things which I am trying to implement here when I am back home,” she said.
Polly Crewe won the Manicaland Ladies Strokeplay Division A after grossing 171 with Sarah Masike (192) bagging the Division B and Leenly Nyamajiwa (211) taking the Division C accolade.
