Olapade, Willy pitch wits against Africa’s best in Kampala

Two of Nigeria’s top professional golfers, Sunday Olapade and Gift Willy, are among the participants in the 2016 Tusker Malt Uganda Golf Open Professional tournament, which teed off on Wednesday at the Uganda Golf Club, Kitante in Kampala, reports www.kawowo.com.The competition is a four-day event, which features some of the best stars in the continent.

Olapade of Ibori Golf and Country Club and Willy from the Port Harcourt Golf Club have played alongside each other in various prestigious West African tournaments, including the 3e Actuaries Open in Equatorial Guinea, where Gift Willy won it once.

Gift won the Port Gentil Open twice in 2012 and 2013 and returned in 2014 to win the Libreville Open in Gabon.Olapade finished 2015 as Nigeria’s Order of Merit leader, and comes into the Tusker Malt Uganda Open as number fourth on the Order of Merit leaderboard whereas Gift comes to the Ugandan Open as 13th on the leaderboard.

According to the report, there has been a registered increase in the number of pros that will take part in this year’s tournament as opposed to last year. 84 Pros have registered to take part in this year’s Tusker Mat Uganda Open, it said.Among the participants this year are players from countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.

Notable among them will be Kenya’s Jacob Okello and winner of the 2016 Tanzania Golf Open, Rwanda’s Jules Dusabe, Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya and also last year’s first runner up and South Africa’s Joshua Seale, among others. 

President of Uganda Golf Union, Johnson Omolo, noted, “you can’t talk about the current state of Nigeria’s golf without talking about Sunday Olapade and Gift Willy. These two are some of the top golfers in West Africa right now.

“We are delighted to have them take part in this year’s Tusker Malt Uganda Open.“We know that they will bring the hype and thrill to the Pros tournament.”Omolo disclosed that this year, Tusker Malt Lager increased their cash sponsorship of the Uganda Golf Open from UGX 200 million shillings to UGX 230 million shillings.

There has also been an increase in the cash prize to UGX 110 million shillings, he said, adding that there is another injection of UGX 270 million shillings as none cash sponsorship, taking the total sponsorship kit up to UGX 500 million shillings.

“This resonates with the status the game of golf is quickly attaining in the region and it further shows the confidence Tusker Malt Lager has in the Uganda Golf Union and the sport at large,” he added.