South African Ruan tops the POA Golf Series SDT Pro-AM tournament in Entebbe
Playing under the Afromania-2 team that included Daniel Kalungi and Ronald Kwikiriza, Ruan contributed 33 points, adding to Kalungi’s 41 and Kwikiriza’s 39 for a team total of 113 points.
South African professional Ruan De Smidt (left) and his team members Ronald Kwikiriza receive their prizes from Nile Breweries CEO Nkanyiso Mncwabe (2nd left) and UGU president Jackson Were (2nd right) after the Pearl of Africa Golf Series Series Pro-Am at Entebbe Club. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
South African professional Ruan De Smidt got a strong head start ahead of the inaugural Pearl of Africa Golf Series Sunshine Development Tour when he picked a sh1m cash prize after finishing top in the Pro-Am tournament that preceded the main event at Entebbe Club on Wednesday.
Playing under the Afromania-2 team that included Daniel Kalungi and Ronald Kwikiriza, Ruan contributed 33 points, adding to Kalungi’s 41 and Kwikiriza’s 39 for a team total of 113 points.
After receiving his Castle Lite pack from Nile Breweries CEO Nkanyiso Mncwabe, Ruan hoped to play even better in the 54-hole main event.
“The course was pretty interesting, actually. Something new for me; I hadn't really experienced anything like it before. The scenery, especially the trees, was just incredible. I really had a good time playing it for the first time,” Ruan said.
Nile Breweries CEO Nkanyiso Mncwabe (3rd left) and UGU president Jackson Were (4th left) poses with the top players from the Pro-Am: Edward Nyatia (left), Ronald Kwikiriza, Daniel Kalungi (4th right), Ruan, Toto Thimba Jnr and Slade Pickering (right) after the Pearl of Africa Golf Series Series Pro-Am at Entebbe Club. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
“I just need to get a better feel for it over the next couple of days, and then hopefully, I can really start playing well. The greens are quite different from what we're accustomed to. They're a bit slow and bumpy. But honestly, I think everyone will probably miss a good number of putts, though you can also sink a lot of them pretty quickly.
“So, the main thing is just to keep your cool out there. So, I'll just go out there and give it my best shot,” Ruan from Krugersdorp Golf Club stated.
Pinnacle Security-2, comprised of Toto Thimba Jr., who played the best score of the event, a 7-under 64 amounting to 42pts, Annita Amumpaire (38pts) and Hassan Ssentamu (29 pts) came second overall on 109 points ahead of Slade Pickering (38), Peace Hellen (39) and Edward Nyatia (30), who featured for the MTM MOMO-2 team and collected 107 points.
Castle Lite, Exim Bank, Aquafina, Vivo Energy, MTN MoMo, Pinnacle Security, Afromania, The Meat Guy, Case Hospital, Home Bliss, and the Uganda Tourism Board sponsor the tournament.
Results POA Pro-AM
1-Afromania-2 113 pts
2-Pinnacle Security-1 109
3-MTN Momo-2 107