Golf: Safari Tour expands to East Africa

Mombasa’s Nyali Golf and Country club course in Mombasa will host the first series of the 2019-2019 Safari Tour golf Championships that will take place at the par 71 course from this Saturday.

According to a press release from the organisers Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL), the five-day tourney that will run to next Wednesday has attracted juniors, amateurs, and professionals from various clubs across the Country.

The revamped series will now include 12 events across four East African countries with seven events being held in Kenya, three in Uganda and one each in Rwanda and Tanzania.

The Safari Tour Tournament Director Patrick Obath said the expansion to East African countries was part of the request from His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“When we mooted the idea of a professional golf tour in Kenya, we were asked by President Uhuru Kenyatta to include our junior golfers of either gender, our elite amateur golfers and to ensure that we invite and include our brothers and sisters from the East African region. We have been in discussions with the golf leadership in Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania and we are delighted to announce that the Safari Tour will now be played in those nations,” said Obath.

In Uganda, the well-established Uganda Open, with a US$50,000 (Sh5million) prize fund, will now be part of the Safari Tour as will be the Entebbe Open and Kitante Open tournaments.

“The Uganda Open and the Rwanda Open will now be part of the Safari Tour and what this simply means is that Pros participating in those events will earn points on the Safari Tour ranking enabling them to qualify for the Magical Kenya Open in a fair and transparent manner. We are still in discussions with Tanzania on dates and venues for a leg of the Safari Tour there,” Obath added.

 Registration for membership of the Tour and for entry into the first event is open through www.safaritour.golf and all golf professionals across East Africa and across Africa have been requested to register.

“We also invite top junior and elite amateurs of either gender to join the Tour, which is keen to promote not only the professional golfers but also our juniors and top amateurs who aspire to play professional golf soon,” Obath said.

From Nyali, the series will move to Uganda, for the Uganda Open at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Club on 10th September 10 to 14.

The Royal Nairobi Golf Club will host the third leg of the Tour before heading back to Uganda for the fourth leg at the Entebbe Golf Club.

The series will make its way across East Africa making stops at the Kigali Golf Club, Great Rift Valley Golf Club, among other courses.