24 golfers advance to round Three of Lina PG Tour at Lugalo

DAR ES SALAAM: A total of 24 professional and elite (up-and-coming) golfers out of 68 participants in the Lina PG Tour are set to proceed to the third round of the ongoing tournament at Lugalo Golf Club in Dar es Salaam, after scoring higher points than their peers.

The tournament, organised by the family of the late Said Nkya in honour of former national women’s golf team player Lina Nkya, began on July 17 and is scheduled to conclude on July 20, 2025.

Speaking to journalists at the venue, one of the organisers and founding members of the tournament, Ms Yasmin Chali, said the event commenced with professional and elite players, with those who performed best scheduled to continue competing through to Sunday, when winners will be determined.

Ms Chali explained that the 24 advancing players include 12 professionals and 12 elite players, who outperformed others and will now compete in the next round to battle for top honours in the tournament.

Ms Chali, who is also the daughter of the late Lina Nkya, noted that on July 19 and 20, a total of 82 additional golfers will take part as accompanying players (wasindikizaji) to support and celebrate the main event. These players include women, senior golfers, and children.

“These 82 players will begin their round tomorrow (today) as part of the accompanying group. Among them are women, elderly players, and children whose skill levels are still developing. By participating, they improve their game and may later qualify to join the elite category or even advance to professional status,” she explained.

However, she said that while the tournament was launched to honour the late Lina, the organisers aspire to see it grow in size and prestige, but have faced challenges due to a lack of sponsors.

“We’re happy to see people enjoying this tournament, but organising it is costly. What’s holding us back is the lack of sponsorship—we haven’t secured any local sponsors so far. We want this tournament to grow bigger, but we’re limited by funding,” she said.

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She appealed to both organisations and individuals to step forward and support the tournament through sponsorship, which would help promote its growth and nurture golfing talent across the country.

“We call upon companies and individuals to support this event so that it becomes easier for us to expand it and uplift talents from all walks of life,” she urged.