Now in its third year, the Leadbetter Golf Academy at Royal Harare has produced some incredible results, with two starlets shining brightly and flying the flag around the continent for Zimbabwean golfing talent on the rise.
Primrose Chikwaya and Kudzai Mandava have a similar story in many ways. They are also close friends and have shared the dream of playing college golf on scholarships in the USA ever since I can remember. Primrose is the daughter of our greenkeeper at Royal Harare, and Kudzai’s story would become one of the most inspiring documentaries in all sport.
Hard work, combined with an unwavering dedication to improving daily, has paid off, as both Primrose and Kudzai have earned their scholarships for golfing excellence and will be attending the same university in Northwestern Ohio by August this year.
Primrose has already won a Collegiate Golfer of the Month award in her short time at Northwestern Ohio and Kudzi begins her college golf career in autumn this year, where the two will be playing on the same team.
Just like the takeaway is the most important part of the golf swing, the beginning of a golfer’s journey into the game will forever leave its mark. Some of us took up golf to spend some quality time with our moms and dads, while others like Kudzai and Prim were in search of a better life. But most who entered this great game would likely be for some form of recreational or corporate socialising opportunities.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend a fair amount of time with David Leadbetter over the past few months, in Florida as well as in Zimbabwe. The biggest takeaway from this time together has been admiring his consistent and unwavering professionalism and high level of engagement with anyone he comes into contact with.
David has not only met both Kudzai and Prim but now sends them each motivational messages, as well as free coaching advice.
Regardless of how one enters the game of golf, we all seek one simple thing – connection. Whether it’s a stronger connection with others, striving to connect the dots between your current situation and that far-off dream, or feeling the arms and body more connected in your takeaway.
Finding your reason for playing the game and connecting throughout your golfing journey might be our one true purpose as golfers. I have been guilty of losing sight of my own connection to the game from time to time over the years but it’s certainly a lot more enjoyable when you find it again.
– This column first appeared in the June 2024 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
