The Zimbabwe Golf Open, the sport’s premier tournament, will unveil its new sponsors at a ceremony to be held at the Royal Harare Golf Club on Wednesday.

The prestigious tournament is part of the Sunshine Tour circuit and the dates will be confirmed at the ceremony.

Officials from the Zimbabwe Professional Golfers’ Association (ZPGA) could not be drawn into discussing the finer details of the sponsorship package.

“We do not want to pre-empt the finer details of the sponsorship package. Official announcements will be made public at a function to be held at Royal on Wednesday,” said Michael Mahachi, an official with the ZPGA.

However, reliable sources told The Sunday Mail Sport that the prize money will be increased, adding that this year’s edition of the tourney will be bigger and better.

“The new sponsors will add value to the tournament. This year’s edition will be bigger and much better,” the source said.

The local Zambezi Tour has had a false start following the postponement, on two occasions, of the season-opening Mashwede Invitational. The 2011 edition of the Open was sponsored to the tune of US$500 000 by Africom, working in partnership with Interfin, Zimplats and Delta Beverages.

The Zimbabwe Open has in the past attracted a number of regional and international stars with the likes of South Africa’s Jbe Kruger taking part in the tournament. Kruger won the 2010 edition of the Open at Royal Harare.

Kruger recently won his first European Tour event when he lifted the Avantha Masters in India early this month. It was his first win in 38 European Tour appearances and the win will, without doubt, boost his confidence ahead of the Zim Open.

His participation in the 2012 edition of the Open is yet to be confirmed. South Africa’s Theunis Spangenberg, and Englishman Neil Cheetham are some of the international golfers   that have in the past graced the tournament.

Local golfers appear to have been negatively affected by the off-season break following the failure by a number of them to make the cut at the Sunshine Tour pre-qualifiers held in South Africa recently. Seven locals failed to make the cut at the Telkom PGA championships qualifiers.

Tranos Muradzikwa, Robson Saurombe, Dean Schoulltz, Micky Hough and William Lake all failed to achieve the qualifying grades. Ignatius Mketekete, who finished last season as the top money earner, also fell by the wayside.

Meanwhile, the dates for the Mashwede Open, which was postponed due to the bad condition of the Falcon Golf Club course, are yet to be confirmed.

“We had agreed in principle to have the tournament postponed to the last weekend of this month.

“However, we are yet to get the green light from the Zambezi Tour. Our course is in better condition,” said Langton Chaota, the Falcon Golf Club captain and chairman of the tournament’s organising committee.