No open has generated more interest before like this year’s edition of the Tusker Malt Uganda Open Golf Championship, with players anticipated to grace the event from across the continent. As at the close of business today, we have received 152 player entries from local, regional, and international players from the Sunshine tour. In the main event category, we expect 120 players of which 68 have so far registered; in the subsidiary category we expect 100 players of which 54 have so far registered; and in the professional category we expect 60 players of which 32 have so far registered.
The Uganda Golf Union is pleased to announce that we shall be hosting for the first time in the history of the Open, the Sunshine Tour Technical Director Mr. Gary Todd. Gary will be visiting to scout the Uganda’s growth in golf, the nature of the courses in Uganda, and the level of organizational arrangements put in place by the Union for this event.
We are also pleased to announce that two Sunshine tour players have submitted their entries in the Professional category. Alan Michell and Tebogho Sefatsa, players and winners on the Sunshine Tour delivered their participation entries in this Tusker Malt Uganda Open 2014 today. They will arrive on the eve of the tournament ahead of the PRO-AM and the main event and address a press conference on the day of the PRO-AM. Alan has already tested success this year, making cuts in the Investec Royal Swazi Open, the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open and the Zambia Sugar Open. He is not a stranger to playing the turf out of his South Africa home. Tebogho on the other hand plies his trade on the Sunshine tour from his home club, the Glendower Golf Course in the heart of Johannesburg. A sunshine tour winner, he is an aggressive competitor who is looking to take the money to South Africa.
Confirmations of participation have been received from the Kenyan professionals who are currently in Kisumu participating in the KCB Golf Tour at the Nyanza Golf Club. The Kenyan contingent is expected to join the rest of the professionals as they battle out for a share of the US$40,000. Richard Ainley, last year’s runner up made no mistake in submitting his entry as soon as registration commenced last week. Fatahi Chitengwa and Tongoona Charamba who both ply their trade in the professional ranks in Zimbabwe have also registered for the event. TC Charamba as he is popularly known is a winner on the Sunshine tour himself, one of the few black golfers who have tested Sunshine tour success. Fatahi is on a winning run that has seen him rise as one of the top professionals in Zimbabwe. On the local scene, most of the local professionals and amateurs of eligible handicaps have equally registered. Home boys Deo Akope, Vincent Byamukama and the diminutive Jinja based professionals will grace the Open.
As part of its package for Open, Sheraton hotel is accommodating the above professionals and officials as the official accommodation sponsor of the event. Many of the regional and international players have taken advantage of the Sheraton offer. The Union encourages all golfers to support Sheraton Hotel and enjoy the facilities on offer for the Open.
Following the changes in payment modalities introduced for the first time this year that require all local and international players to pay alongside their entries to the Open, the Union hereby announces an extension of the registration deadline to 21st August 2014 to allow all international traveling players a chance to effectively register by paying using the various modalities put in place by the Union. All players MUST register and PAY by this deadline as there will be no further extensions.
The Union is also pleased to announce that KK security, Oddman Media and NBS have joined Tusker Malt, Sheraton, Uganda Tourism Board, and Case Medical Centre to make this year’s open a success. By bringing on these sponsors who are premium brands in their respective industries, we believe that all participating players and fans who intend to come and watch the game of golf will have a memorable time in this year’s Uganda Open.