ZIMBABWEAN authorities have ordered international golfer Nick Price to stop flying the country's flag until his citizenship is formalised, a weekly paper reported yesterday.

Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa, was quoted by the Financial Gazette saying Price, who holds a British passport and has been playing golf for years claiming to represent Zimbabwe, should "stop doing so.

"He should stop doing that until he gets his citizenship and passport," Dabengwa said.

Born in neighbouring South Africa and raised in Zimbabwe, Price who now lives in the United States, renounced his Zimbabwean citizenship in 1984 when the country abolished dual citizenship.

"We have told Price to renounce his British citizenship first and he can get his Zimbabwean passport within a day," Dabengwa said, adding that President Robert Mugabe had already approved that he be granted Zimbabwean citizenship.

Price who was in the country last week for the Zimbabwe Open tournament, which was won by Mark MacNulty, complained that the Zimbabwean immigration department had been sitting on his application for citizenship for two years.

Former world golf champion, Price is currently ranked among the world's 10 top golfers.