—Says Banks DIH’s Carlton Joao
Over eighty local and overseas golfers are expected for the 2012 prestigious Guyana Open Golf tournament this weekend at the Lusignan Golf Course. The two-day tournament which starts on Saturday, is sponsored by Banks DIH under is XM brand.
Secretary of the Lusignan Golf Course, David Mohamed said yesterday at a press briefing at Banks DIH Thirst Park, that golfers from Canada, Florida – United States of America, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and French Guiana are expected for the tournament.
Roger Rajkumar, who was representing the overseas contingent, said he is acquainted with many of the overseas players and according to him they are in great shape to come a win the championship.
Carlton Joao, Marketing and Sales Executive said the tournament has grown over the years with credit going to the executives of the Lusignan Golf Club.
“The executive of the Lusignan has been very instrumental in pushing this tournament over the years to ensue that it is the premier tournament in Guyana and we are very happy to align with it because of that stature. “Also because so much talent comes in to give our local players a run for the money as you would say. So invariably it lifts the standard of the golf that is played in Guyana,” Joao said.
According to Joao the competition is bound to be one of a high standard given the amount of practice and tournaments leading up to it.
Captain of the Lusignan Golf Club Rawle Moore, said that the competition will be played as a gross tournament, but accommodation will be made for weaker players.
“We have for the male first, second and third gross and we also have first, second and third net.
This net, as you should know, is to accommodate and bring a sense of equity or balance to all players.
The better players will be deemed as the gross while the handicap system or the system of balance would allow the persons who do not know to play so well, but based on their handicap they have done well for their particular flight for which they will be given prizes for the first to third net.”
He added that players will be competing in four categories – 09 gross, 10-18 gross, 19-28 net and 0-31 net. The latter is the female’s category, which according to Moore, golf does not attract a number of females, but said the club is working on changing it.
Also, this year the tournament is expected to attract some nine females, which will give the two local females defending champion Christine Sukhram and Joaan Deo some measure of competition. Sukhram, however said she is not worried about the competition.
Among some of the players expected to compete in the 0-9 gross are defending champion Papo Haniff of Trinidad and Tobago, Avinash Persaud, Mohanlall Dinanauth and Alfred Mentore.
“Coming here is different, so I don’t know how they are going to perform but I will try to do my best,” Mohammed said yesterday.
The course according to Mohamed is in excellent condition, “the rain has stayed away for a long time and golf is like that. We have been soaking the green, it is playing nice and smooth. The pin placement last week was difficult for some players and the Captain had selected those pin placement but you could expect that again with the rough being a little easier than normal. The challenge I think is going to be the green this week again because it’s hard and fast,” he said.
