Mandala wins first NBS Bank Golf title

Donbell Mandala banished his swing demons in the NBS Bank Monthly Mug Championship at Country Club Limbe (CCL) on Saturday to qualify for the annual Mug-of-Mugs Championships for the first time in six years.

Only top-three winners of the monthly mugs make it into the end-of-year Mug-of-Mugs Tournament and the handicap-15 golfer finally earned the slot in extraordinary fashion to outclass a field of 40 contestants with nett-68.

On his way to glory, he rolled in a birdie on the seventh hole and produced 10 pars, eight of which were collected on the front-nine.

The Blantyre Sports Club golfer has qualified for the winner-of-winners championships along with his runner-up Lance Pinto, who played to his handicap to get nett-72, and third-placed Willet Kalonga, who secured nett-73.

In the women’s category, handicap-25 Beatrice Mangwana became champion with nett-71 while debutant Bose Kamphulusa took the second position with nett-74. n