Our energies are on Uganda Open - Matsiko

Our energies are on Uganda Open - Matsiko

Despite being previously allowed to play some recreational golf, Uganda Golf Union are not looking at having a barrage of tournaments right now. Instead, they have laid down the gauntlet and are focusing on hosting a successful Uganda Open in November.

Sports is slowly gaining its momentum after President Museveni lifted the lockdown cap off it in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Golf, which got permission for recreation three months ago, is expected to be in greater gear.

But with the prevailing conditions, Uganda Golf Union (UGU) does not expect to tee-off competitions in a powerful way heading into the last quarter of a ‘sorry’ 2020. Like the rest of the sports federations, UGU’s calendar was disrupted but they are keen on staging their biggest ‘Major’ - the Uganda Open.

“The biggest asset for UGU is the Uganda Open,” said UGU president Moses Matsiko yesterday.

“God willing, we could have some virtual social tournaments but it’s difficult to have multiple competitions with the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),” he said. “Right now, all our energies are on the Open.”

UGU has tentatively set to hold the Open at the Uganda Golf Club (UGC) Kitante course at the end of November. “It is very important, very crucial that we salvage this big asset for the good of UGU, players, caddies and the stakeholders.”

Before the pandemic, the Uganda Open was to be organised between August 25 and September 12 with a countrywide Tour as a pre-cursor.

Some sponsors had been courted then but UGU is now building its plan again literally from scratch.

“We are having discussions with a number of sponsors,” stated Paul Kaheru, the event manager for the Open.

“Golf keeps great relationships with all our sponsors. So we have dug our archives and we have high hopes. So don’t expect a new sponsor. This is going to be a different experience and that could have implications on the budget,” explained Matsiko.

Daily Monitor understands that securing the anchor sponsor is a fundamental initial of the roadmap to the Open. “A month is sufficient to have all this and other sponsors in place,” noted Matsiko.

Last year, UGU held the Open in formats for the juniors, ladies, amateurs and the professionals but the teenagers and youngsters could be painfully skipped this time.

GOLF SOPs
On-Course Items: Rakes to be removed, ball washers to be covered up, hand sanitizers at strategic places on the course, benches and bins to be removed.

Holes & Flagsticks: Flagsticks can be retained but not to be touched. Cup of the golf hole should be inserted in such a way that the entire ball does not fall below the surface of the putting green and can be easily retrieved by handling the ball only.

Bookings: Facilities to use a system of booking and allocation of tee times. Group per tee time not to exceed three players.
General: Remind golfers not to touch stray balls, each group should carry sanitizers, applied after each hole played. No sharing scorecards as electronic scoring is preferred.

THE HOLDERS
2019 CHAMPIONS
Juniors Open
B: Rogers Eyoyo
G: Winnie Massette
Amateur Open
Daniel Nduva 
Ladies Open
Martha Babirye
Seniors Open
M: Dr Alex Coutinho
W: Grace Kabonero
Professionals Open
Muthiya Madalitso
*M for Men, W =Women, 
B = Boys and G = Grils