ZIMBABWEAN golfer Ryan Cairns will make a huge step towards realising his dream of playing on the US PGA Tour when he takes part at the 2014 PGA Tour Latinoamérica qualifying tournament in Peru next week.
DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER
Cairns, who recently shifted base to the United States, will line up against other 132 hopefuls from around the globe at the La Planicie Golf Club in Lima, Peru, from January 13-17.
The 29-year-old golfer will be hoping to finish in the top 20 in the tournament which would give him full exemption for 2014 PGA Tour Latinoamérica.
The PGA Tour Latinoamérica is a third level professional golf tour, a rung behind the US PGA Tour and the Web.com Tour.
However, it is the first pathway to the US PGA Tour and it’s top five in the tour’s Order of Merit earn status on the Web.com Tour.
The top 25 players on the Web.com Tour’s money list are given US PGA Tour membership for the next season.
Cairns, who played on the Sunshine Tour until recently, was the leading Zimbabwean golfer still plying his trade on the African continent.
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However, if Cairns is successful in Peru he will become the second Zimbabwean golfer on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica after US-based Bruce McDonald.
McDonald, who will be playing in his third season on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica this year, finished last season ranked №52 in the order of merit.
The 31-year-old Bulawayo-born golfer, based in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States, had three top-25 finishes and six cuts made in 12 starts.
McDonald struggled for most of the year, missing the cut in six of his first eight starts, but made a late charge with two top-25 finishes on the final to events of the season to save his tour card.
His best finish was a tie for 11th at the season ending 108th VISA Open de Argentina in December.
