Nathan van Rooyen joined an elite group of Zimbabwean golfers after securing victory at the 2025 Zimbabwe Amateur Championship, held at Chapman Golf Club on Sunday, marking his first triumph on the local amateur circuit.

Van Rooyen carded a five-over-par 293 after 72 holes, while Shutt finished on eight-over-par 296. Munesu Chimhini secured third place with nine-over-par 297.

Throughout the tournament, Van Rooyen was one of just three players to record an under-par round.

Reflecting on his victory, he said: “I attribute this win to my first round. I felt a bit of pressure over the last three holes of the final round.

I’m thrilled to qualify for the Zimbabwe Open, I’ve missed the cut in the pre-qualifier before. The course was in good condition and I’ll definitely be playing in more events going forward.”

Van Rooyen opened his campaign with a stunning six-under-par 66, setting the tone for the rest of the field. He held a five-shot lead over Michael Wallace and Mudiwa Chikochi, who both carded 71.

His second round saw a slip to six-over-par 78, taking him to level-par heading into the third round. A steady even-par 72 in round three and a closing five-over 77 were enough to secure the coveted trophy.

Shutt shot round scores of 73, 76, 72, and 75, while Chimhini posted 74, 76, 75, and 72. Meanwhile, Margaret Nyamukondiwa delivered a standout performance in the women’s championship, winning with a total of 14-over-par 302.

Impressively, she finished eighth overall on the combined leaderboard – the only woman in the top 10. Nyamukondiwa’s shot round scores of 73, 76, 79, and 74 to make it back- to- back victories having won last year’s championship.