Kasozi hunts for top 10 places at Kitante Open

Kasozi will need to minimize errors to achieve his target at the Kitante Open this week. Photo by Eddie Chicco

KAMPALA- Phillip Kasozi’s quest for a second straight ticket to the Magical Kenya Open on the PGA European Tour has been a long route.
And not that it is over yet. The Uganda pro golfer currently occupies the last slot of the available ten via the regional Safari Tour Series with 165.5 points from nine events.

He is currently the second-best of the non-Kenyans on the charts and now, he is chasing the best finish at the penultimate Series’ leg - the Kitante Open - which tees-off this morning at the par-72 Uganda Golf Club course.
“God willing, yes,” Kasozi spoke about his chances of respectable performance.

On the Series, Kasozi has made the cut five times out of nine attempts (successful on all three Ugandan events) and his best placing was when he tied for tenth place at the Safari Open in Kigo three months ago.

At Kitante, he is aiming for his best finish on 2019-2020 Series which climaxes with the leg at Karen Country Club later this month.
“I have some target scores in my head. But just looking for fairway green. The rest will just follow, I am feeling a bit better.”
Top eight Kenyans currently led by in-form Greg Snow with 350 points and best two-places foreigners on the Series qualify automatically to the lucrative Kenya Open.

Doesn’t Kasozi feel any pressure with Zimbabwean Robson Chinhoi 3.5 points ahead of him in 12th and Nigerian Andrew Odoh on his bumper in 15th place (160 points) coming to his own home course?

“I think am now growing in the game. No pressure. I know what to do,” the former banker stated.
“Golf never has home courses. Otherwise, we would have a Kenyan win Kenya Open. It has a slight advantage but never something to rely on,” he added. Both Chinhoi and Odoh are in the fray so is Snow, who has won the last three Series events at Thika, Muthaiga and Sigona.
Other Ugandan Series’ events winners Entebbe Open champion Jastas Madoya and Safari Open winner Dismas Indiza are in the quest for the Shs40m purse on offer by seven sponsors including Johnnie Walker and Tusker Malt.

KITANTE OPEN
TOURNAMENT NOTE BOOK
Series: Safari Tour
Edition: 3rd
Dates: February 11-15
Format: Stroke-play
Pros’ kitty: Shs40m
Hosts: Uganda Golf Club, Kitante
Sponsors: Sheraton Hotel, Pinnacle Security,
Tusker Malt, Johnnie Walker, Pepsi, HTC