Ryder Cup system underway for Lina Cup Tour

PLAN is underway for the Ryder Cup-format Lina Cup golf tournament involving two Dar es Salaam clubs; Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) Lugalo and the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC).

The unique competition aimed to commemorate the life of the former national team member, Lina Nkya, scheduled to be held from 11-13 November this year.

One of the event coordinators Yasmin Chali told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam yesterday that preparation for the same is in top gear.

Yasmin, who is Lina’s daughter, said the Nkya family has established the first Memorial Lina Golf tournament ‘The Lina Cup’, to be held on the two courses; DGC and Lugalo.

She said it is an honour to the two clubs that Lina Nkya played for in most of her lifetime; DGC and Lugalo Golf Club.

She said the Captains of these two Clubs will pick their best teams which will contain 4 professionals, 36 amateurs and 12 caddies.

She stressed that the format to be used for each category is the format similar to that of The Ryder Cup ‘Match Play’ rules where opponents from the 2 Clubs will go head-to-head per hole and can knock each other out before the 18th hole.

“This will be of the kind of tournament against clubs, bringing healthy rivalry and excitement to the sport of golf,” noted Yasmin.

Lina was among the first Lady Golfers in Tanzania, a sport that was dominated by non-Tanzanian golfers.

She broke this stigma on the green and encouraged dozens of Tanzanian women and Africans at large to partake in golf as a recreational and professional sport.

She was also the Co-Founder of the famous KOBE Golf Tournament that ran for over 11 years.

“It was the first tournament in Tanzania that allowed caddies to participate as players, increasing the number of indigenous players, allowing for the less advantaged to enter the game competitively and that’s where most of the pros we have today originated from,” explained Yasmin.

During different periods of her lifetime, she served as a committee member of the ladies’ Golf Section at DGC and as the Honorary Treasurer of the Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU) from 2010 – 2012; Lina played an integral role in ensuring the sustainability and integrity of the Union.

She was amongst the National Team representatives during The All-Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) and Zambia Ladies Open that was held in Zambia in 2006.