TZ reclaims Ladies Golf Open crown

DAR ES SALAAM : LUGALO Golf Club player, Vicky Elias has emerged as the overall winner of this year’s  Tanzania Ladies Open Golf after grossing 233 strokes in the 54-hole tournament at Kili Golf Club in Arusha over the weekend.

It was a sweet victory for Vicky Elias who last year witnessed the trophy being taken by a Kenyan golfer.

“Last year the trophy went to Kenya, but I am glad to have managed to win it back,” she said.

The first runner-up in the ladies’ golf event was Madina Idd from Arusha Gymkhana who grossed  234 strokes while the third winner title went to a Kenyan golfer, Ashley Awuor who grossed 235 strokes.

This year’s Sterling Tanzania Ladies Open Golf organised by the Tanzania Ladies Golf Union, was held at the Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estate for three consecutive days.

The event included the Professional Golf competition in which Nuru Mollel from Arusha Gymkhana won with 148 gross strokes and was awarded a 2.5m/- cash prize while the runner up Isaac Wanyeche from Kili Golf who grossed 150 strokes, pocketed 1.5m/-.

The Division A winner was George Sembi who grossed 145 strokes followed by Julius Mwizani with a 149 gross win.

For the Division B category, Martin Kiula got 136 gross while the runner-up was Kepha Mbise who grossed 143.

In the Division C category, Wenhao Cheo topped the bill with 135 gross, while Shane Pandit who also grossed 135, was second on countback rule.

The President of Tanzania Ladies Golf Union (TLGU) Queen Siraki expressed satisfaction after Tanzania managed to reclaim the Ladies Open Golf trophy.

Queen also thanked the sponsors, such as Sterling and Airplay as well as all participants and other supporters who helped to make the event a major success.

The Marketing Manager of Sterling Surfactants Limited, Lambert Kishato promised to maintain their support of Ladies’ Golf events as well as other sporting events in Arusha and the country as a whole.

Ayne Magombe who is the Business Development Manager of Airpay, the event’s co-sponsor, said her firm sponsored the ‘Professional Golf,’ segment of the TLGU event at the Kilimanjaro Golf.

“We supported the pro golfers because, for the first time this year, there was a lady professional golfer taking part in the event,” she said, adding that Airpay forked out 11m/- in cash prizes for the winners.