Zimbabwean Mark Nulty Plays Golf For Ireland; Huh?
Mark McNulty is tied 11th after the first round of the Senior Open Championship at Birkdale. If you were wondering why he no longer plays under the Zimbabwean flag, it’s complicated.
McNulty was born and grew up in Zimbabwe, which was governed (pretty well by all accounts) by the minority white population. His family owned a 2,000 acre farm maize, which employed up to 240 workers. When dictator Robert Mugabe took over the government things began to change. In 2000 Mugabe vowed to return farm lands taken by the white Colonial rulers back to the indigenous population using a controversial by implementing a land reform program. The McNulty family farm, which they farmed for 40 years, was confiscated. Many farm owners who did not comply, were killed.
McNulty’s mother’s mother Elizabeth Boyle Hanna was born in 1885 and came from Ballymena in Northern Ireland. Worried at the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe he took citizenship of Ireland in 2003. He now lives in England. Having an Irish passport would allow him to travel more freely to Tour events worldwide as issues exist for non-resident Zimbabwean’s who need to renew Zimbabwean passports.
It’s a sad situation for both McNulty and Zimbabwe.
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