Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Eric Ooko in action at the Nyali Golf and Country Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series in August last year. He will be in action this weekend in Nyali for the new season of the Series.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The first leg of the 2019/20 Safari Tour Golf series set to tee off this Saturday at the Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa, has attracted an impressive field of over 40 professionals from around the region.

Among the notable names set to battle it out for a share of the the KES. 1 Million total Prize kitty, include defending series champion, Greg Snow, Golf Park’s David Wakhu who won in Nyali last year, hard hitting Dismas Indiza and Windsor Golf Club’s Riz Charania. Mohit Mediratta, who missed most of the Safari Tour action last season, makes a return to the tournament this. Weekend.

The field also includes entries from Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Among the regional players whose entries have been received by the tournament organizers, Kenya Open Golf Limited, include Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel, Rajabu Pembe and Abdalla Yusuf; Uganda’s Philip Kasozi, Mwanja Becca, Dennis Anguyo, Bagalana Abbey and Toolit Brian; and double Sunshine Tour champion from Zimbabwe, Charamba Tongoona.

The event also features entries from elite amateurs, notably Zayan Din from Nyali.

The four-day tournament will tee off with a Pro-Am event which will see the Professional golfers play with amateurs on Saturday, the 24^th of August at the same venue, before the main competition which will be played from Sunday 25^th to Wednesday 28^th August. A golf clinic will be held tomorrow at the same venue featuring a section of professional players taking amateur and junior golfers through a golf basics course.

Speaking ahead of the Nyali leg, Safari Tour Golf Series Tournament Director, Patrick Obath said: “We are delighted with the level on entries that we have received for this event as it confirms its importance to both our local anc regional pros as they work towards getting a slot in next year’s Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship. We are particulalry glad to see entries from Zimbabwe as well as as increased number of players from both Uganda and Tanzania. As we move along, we hope to attract more regional professionals as the tour continues.”

Obath added: “On behalf of KOGL, I would like to welcome our visiting pros and wish them an enjoyable stay in Kenya for the duration of the event and also wish them well on the course. I wish all golfers the best as they take on the Nyali course and look forward to seeing great results.”

The Nyali leg will be the first in a series of 12 tournaments that will constitute the 2019/20 Safari Tour, that will see golfers play in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, culminating with the 2020 Magical Kenya Open set to be hosted at the Karen Country Club from the 12^th – 15^th of March 2020.

After Nyali, the series will move to the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Club from the 10^th to the 14^th of September for the Uganda Open, then to the Royal Golf Club Nairobi from the 12^th – 16^th of October.

Action will move back to Uganda, this time at the Entebbe Golf Club from the 30^th of October to the 2^nd of November. The series will then head to Rwanda, at the Kigali Golf Club from the 6^th to the 9^th of November, after which it will make stops at the Great Rift Valley and Muthaiga Golf Clubs before breaking for Christmas on the 18^th of December.

Safari Tour Calendar 2019/20:

Event 1 Nyali Golf and Country Club 24th – 28th August 2019

Event 2 Uganda Open (Lake Victoria Serena) 10th – 14th September 2019

Event 3 Royal Nairobi Golf Club 12th – 16th October 2019

Event 4 Entebbe Open (Entebbe Golf Club) 30th Oct – 2nd Nov 2019

Event 5 Rwanda Open (Kigali Golf Club) 6th – 9th November 2019

Event 6 Great Rift Valley Golf Club 23rd – 27th November 2019

Event 7 Muthaiga Golf Club 14th – 18th December 2019

Event 8 Thika Greens 4th – 8th January 2020

Event 9 Sigona Golf Club 25th – 29th January 2020

Event 10 Kitante Open (Uganda Golf Club) 12th – 15th February 2020

Event 11 Karen Country Club 22nd -26th February 2020

Event 12 Tanzania Open (Kiligolf) TBC

2019 Magical Kenya Open, Karen Country Club, 12^th – 15^th March 2020.

Dismas Indiza follows the flight of his tee on day three of the Safari Tour Golf Series at the Nyali Golf Club in August last year.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) has today released dates for the 2019/2020 Safari Tour Golf Series. The revamped series will now include 12 events across four East African countries; with seven events being held in Kenya, three in Uganda and one each in Rwanda and Tanzania.

Commenting on the 2019/2020 schedule, Patrick Obath, the Safari Tour Tournament Director, said that going into East African was part of the request from His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“When we mooted the idea of a Professional golf tour in Kenya, we were asked by President Uhuru Kenyatta to include our junior golfers of either gender, our elite amateur golfers and to ensure that we invite and include our brothers and sisters from the East African region. We have been in discussions with the golf leadership in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania and we are delighted to announce that the Safari Tour will now be played in those nations,” he said.

In Uganda, the well-established Uganda Open, with a US$50,000 prize fund, will now be part of the Safari Tour as will the Entebbe Open and Kitante Open tournaments.

“The Uganda Open and the Rwanda Open will now be part of the Safari Tour and what this simply means is that Pros participating in those events will earn points on the Safari Tour ranking enabling them to qualify for the Magical Kenya Open in a fair and transparent manner. We are still in discussions with Tanzania on dates and venues for a leg of the Safari Tour there,” Obath added.

The Nyali Golf and Country Club will once more host the first event of the Safari Tour season from the 24^th to 28^th of August 2019.

“Registration for membership of the Tour and for entry into the first event at Nyali is open on www.safaritour.golf and we invite all golf professionals across East Africa and across Africa to register and join us. We are also inviting the top junior and elite amateurs of either gender to register and join us, this Tour is keen to promote not only the Professional golfers but also our juniors and top amateurs who aspire to play Professional golf soon,” Obath said.

From Nyali, the series will move to Uganda, for the Uganda Open at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Club, on the 10^th -14^th of September. The Royal Nairobi Golf Club will host the third leg of the Tour on the 12^th – 16^th of October, before heading back to Uganda for the fourth leg at the Entebbe Golf Club on the 30^th October to 2^nd of November.

There series will make its way across East Africa making stops at the Kigali Golf Club, Great Rift Valley Golf Club, Muthaiga Golf Club, Thika Greens, Sigona Golf Club, Uganda Golf Club and the Karen Country Club.

All legs of the Safari Tour will have a minimum total prize fund of US$10,000.

Safari Tour Calendar 2019/20

Event 1 Nyali Golf and Country Club 24th – 28th August 2019 (US$10,000)
Event 2 Uganda Open (Lake Victoria Serena) 10th – 14th September 2019 (US$50,000)
Event 3 Royal Nairobi Golf Club 12th – 16th October 2019 (US$10,000)
Event 4 Entebbe Open (Entebbe Golf Club) 30th Oct – 2nd Nov 2019 (US$10,000)
Event 5 Rwanda Open (Kigali Golf Club) 6th – 9th November 2019 (US$30,000 TBC)
Event 6 Great Rift Valley Golf Club 23rd – 27th November 2019 (US$10,000)
Event 7 Muthaiga Golf Club 14th – 18th December 2019 (US$10,000)
Event 8 Thika Greens 4th – 8th January 2020 (US$10,000)
Event 9 Sigona Golf Club 25th – 29th January 2020 (US$10,000)
Event 10 Kitante Open (Uganda Golf Club) 12th – 15th February 2020 (US$10,000 TBC)
Event 11 Karen Country Club 22nd -26th February  2020 (US$10,000)
Event 12 Tanzania Open (Kiligolf) (US$10,000 TBC)