RYAN Cairns managed to make the Zambia Roadpath Golf Open cut at Nkana Golf Club in Kitwe at the weekend.

Cairns was part of several players who took to the field in the R3 000 purse money tournament and he finished the tournament tied on position 29.

A total of five Zimbabweans who included Mark Williams, Greg Bentley, Mohammad Mandhu, Brian Gondo and Cairns took part in the tournament.

However it was the former Royal Harare member Cairns who managed to go all the way and make it through the four rounds.

For finishing in a four-way tie with Lindani Ndwandwe, Chris Lloyd and Teaghan Gauche, Cairns pocketed R19 800 for his efforts.

The 33-year-old had rounds of 71, 74, 67 and 74 for a two-under 286 overall while the other four players failed to make it through the opening two rounds.

The tournament was won by South African Riekus Nortje who managed to keep his composure to shoot a flawless four-under-par 68 final round and win his maiden Sunshine Tour title with a total 18-under-par on Sunday.

The tightly contested final looked like it would go into a play-off between himself and Ockie Strydom – whom he beat by two strokes – at some stage.

Nortje showed maturity and refused to let the magnitude of the event overwhelm him as he carded two birdies on the front nine ensuring he tightened his grip atop the leader board, and another on 12 followed before he made another one on 17 to clinch the title.