Akope not afraid of Zimbabwes''s Charamba
Aug 25, 2014
Now, Ugandan professional golfers have reason to sharpen their game more ahead of the Tusker Malt Uganda Open after two of their opponents warmed up with impressive performances at the Royal Swazi Golf Course.
By Michael Nsubuga
Now, Ugandan professional golfers have reason to sharpen their game more ahead of the Tusker Malt Uganda Open after two of their opponents warmed up with impressive performances at the Royal Swazi Golf Course.
Zimbabwe’s Tongoona Charamba who jets in on September 1 carded a score of 70 in the third and final round to come out on top on eight-under-par 208, pocketing E27 000 (sh97m) at the Royal Swazi Spa Golf Course at Ezulwini on Saturday.
Farahi Chitengwa, another of the Uganda Open registered players carded 210 to finish second, two shots behind Charamba after 54 holes.
The event is played in honour of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) stalwart, Siphiwe Nyanda. It attracted 75 golfers from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia.
Charamba attributed his win to his previous knowledge of the course
“I did not play well in the first and last round but managed to win. I still feel I should have done better. I now turn my efforts to the upcoming Uganda Open in East Africa," Charamba said.
But Uganda’s number one professional golfer Deo Akope is not shaken by the development.
“We won in Entebbe last year and there is no reason we cannot win again; I have confidence in our boys that one of us can win it. We have been active of late in Jinja, Tororo and have another tournament this weekend so we are not short of practice,” Akope said.
“Pesonally I have been working on my physical fitness and now I’m laying final strategies on how to attack each hole because there are some changes that have been made on the course,” Akope stated.
Meanwhile the Burundi national golf team surprised organizers when they made an early arrival for the East African Challenge on Sunday. All teams were expected to arrive on Wednesday.
The Challenge tees off officially on Thursday with a practice round before the flag rising ceremony the same day. The real challenge will then begin on Friday ahead of the crowning ceremony on Sunday at Entebbe Club.
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