Rwanda, Burundi Up Next for Pros

Larry Ngala

18 May 2011

Nairobi — Rwanda and Burundi are the next venues for East Africa’s professional golfers after the 2011 KCB Bank Tanzania Open at the scenic Arusha Gymkhana Club over the weekend.

Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) captain, Rizwan Charania on Tuesday said six Kenyan pros, seven Tanzanians and two Rwandese players had confirmed participation at the KCB Bank Rwanda Open, whose first round is set for next Wednesday at the Kigali Golf Club.

This will be the fifth leg in the 2011 KCB East Africa Golf Tour but the third among the regional tournaments, each with a prize fund of Sh1 million.

Charania, however, said he was expecting more names till Monday which will be the final day of receiving entries.

A total of 43 pros and one leading Kenyan amateur, Collins Omondi, turned up at Arusha Gymkhana last week.

Meanwhile, Imtiaz Ali Khan, captain of Bujumbura Golf Club in Burundi said that the Burundi Open will take place from June 1 to 4.

Khan said the event has been divided into four categories.

The first category will be a 72-hole event open to the professionals with prize fund of $10,000 (About Sh820,000), while category two will be a 54-hole strokeplay championship open to amateurs playing off handicap nine and under.

Third category

The third category will be open to handicap 10 to 28 players and will also play three rounds. The fourth category will be open to ladies playing off handicap one to 36.

Khan said official practising round will be May 31 while the opening ceremony and the first round for the professionals will take place on June 1.

The amateurs will teeing off from June 2 but a Pro-Am for willing professionals and amateurs will be held on June 5.

At the same time, Kimani Bow and Anjelo Nderi posted 39 points to win the overall title at the Crown Paint Golf tournament at the nine-hole Nyeri Golf Club.

Joshua Kinoti and H.W. Gichohi, who had carded 37, came second. The pair of Jacob Kamere and Mwangi Ng’aru posted 37, while Baldev Singh and H.S. Sappal also fired 37 points.

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