Fadhil and Mollel share lead after Lina PG Tour first round

KILIMANJARO: FADHIL Nkya and Nuru Mollel carded four-under-par 68s to share the lead after the first round of the first-ever Lina Professional Golf (PG) Tour Pro-Am competition on Thursday.

The tournament that started at the TPC Moshi Club of Kilimanjaro Region and was set to climax on Sunday saw the due share three-shot lead.

Nkya from Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) began with seven pars and two birdies on the front nine and holed another three birdies, five pars and only bogy hole no. 16-hole par-5.

Molel from Arusha Gymkhana Club (AGC) had two birdies and a bogey at the front nine but finished very strong in the back nine with four birdies and five pars to force a duo first-round tie.

The duo was led by DGC’s Hassan Kadio who carded one-under-par 71 shots at day one.

At elite amateur leader is host Ally Isanzu who also carded 71 grosses.

Isanzu who is fresh from participating at the inaugural Africa Amateur Golf Championship ended in South Africa over the weekend take two shots lead over Isiaka Daudi from Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) Lugalo Golf Club of Dar es Salaam who also represents Tanzania at Africa event.

Daudi who last month won the Northern Zone Golf Tournament title at TPC course, started the day strong with three birdies but a no. 5 hole double-bogey let him down. The back nine was even challenging with two birdies that were cancelled with four double-bogey.

Enoshi Wanyeche, Michael Masawe also from Lugalo and host Elisha Fadhili tied for the elite amateurs’ category third place by two-over 74 gross.

The 72-hole stroke play tournament, organised by the Saidi Nkya family in collaboration with Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU), is exclusively for Tanzanian professionals and amateur golfers respectively.

Overall pro would be awarded 6.8m/-, 4.3m/- would go to second place and the third-placed winner would foot home a 3.4m/- cash prize.

For elite amateurs who are handicap 5 and below golfers, an overall winner will get 2.2m/-, the second 1.3m/-, the third will get 900,000/- while 700,000 and 570,000 will go to third, fourth and fifth winners respectively.

The tournament has been introduced as part of commemorating the late Lina Saidi Nkya, who passed away on January 19, 2021, in Moshi. The late Lina apart from being a golf player, was also a golf leader at national and club levels.