Akope to play in sh1bn 3e Actauries golf tournament

Uganda professional golfer Deo Akope will be part of a strong field of golfers from around the world to compete in the 3e Actuaries Golf Open in Equatorial Guinea, next year after finishing 11th during this year's action at the Presidential Golf Course in Mongomo over the weekend.

The top 31 golfers who made the cut at this year's competition had a share of $100, 000 (sh355m) cash and also gained automatic qualification to next year's event which is going to have $300,000 (sh1bn) in prize money. There will be qualifiers in Nigeria, South Africa, U.K and Dubai for next year's event.

The top players normally enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to the annual event, in the golf tourism driven tournament supported by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and envisaged in Equatorial Guinea Horizonte 2020 vision.

England's Hinton Craig came top at the weekend with 278 gross over four rounds, three and four strokes ahead of Sweden's Peter Gustafsson and Zambia's Madalisto Muthiya.

Spain's Puig Giner Xavier (285) finished fourth with Portugal's Da Costa Ferreira finishing fifth with 287 gross in one of Africa's lucrative tournaments that attracted 54 men and 14 lady professional golfers.

This year's Tusker Malt Lager Uganda Open winner Joshua Seale was also part of the strong cast but did not make the cut.

"I'm happy that I qualified for next year's event by finishing in the top 12. I had a bad start but finished strongly and I'm pretty happy to end the year this way. I hope to play better next year because I'm getting used to the course each passing year," Akope, who shot; 76, 74, 70, 70 for a gross score of 290 said.  Last year, he finished 17th.            

This year's action attracted Charlie Wie who is a multiple winner on the PGA tour and number of other European tour players.