ARUSHA: A STIFF chase for the top prize involving host Nuru Mollel and his closest pursuers; Hassan Kadio and Fadhil Nkya heralds the third edition of the Lina Professional Golfers (PG) Tour Pro-Am tournament which tees off at the Arusha Gymkhana Club (AGC) course this morning.
However, AGC’s Mollel who is leading the race, is a man to watch in the third round as he is playing at home ground.
Mollel heads to the Lina PG Tour fresh from winning the Vodacom Lugalo Open 2024 pros title at the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) Lugalo Golf Club course over the weekend.
He leads in overall performance after winning the tour’s first round at TPC course in Kilimanjaro before clinching the overall runner-up prize in the second round of the tour at Morogoro Gymkhana course in April this year. Yasmin Chali, the tour’s director and the event’s chief coordinator told the ‘Daily News’ yesterday that all the preparation is finalised.
Chali said that host Mollel is in Arusha so his closest challengers are ready for today’s tee-off.
“I have been training intensively for this event. I don’t want to let down my fans who have been supporting me in every tournament,” Mollel said.
As per the Lina PG Tour Director, the third round will be staged in Arusha from today allowing the way to Sunday, July 14th this year climaxed at the same venue.
However, the opposition is likely to be stiff for Mollel at his home course as his closest challengers; Kadio from Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC), who won the tour’s second round in Morogoro, and his club-mate Nkya who tied with Mollel in the first round’s tee-off at the TPC Moshi Club course of Kilimanjaro region are both fined players.
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According to the tournament’s director, the Lina PG Tour falls in a Pro-Am, therefore, like the two previous rounds, it will award heft cash prizes for both professional and amateur categories.
While Mollel, Kadio, and Nkya fight for a driving seat in the professional golf category, Ally Isanzu from TPC is far ahead of the rest in the amateur category.
Isiaka Daudi from TPDF Lugalo and Victor Joseph of DGC are breathing fire behind Isanzu in the race for supremacy in the amateur golf category. Isanzu is the back-to-back winner of both rounds. He won the first round at TPC before sealing the number-one spot in Morogoro.
“I will keep on playing well. I have worked hard during the training to improve my putting skills,” said Isanzu.
Lina PG Tour is a national-level series that intends to cover five different golf venues and leads in rewarding its winners.
Kadio, who won the second round in Morogoro, pocketed 6.8m/ while Isanzu claimed 2.2m/- for winning the amateur category.
