All systems are in place for two enthralling days of golf at the premier 2012 XM Rums sponsored Guyana Open Golf tournament which tees off today at the Lusignan Golf Club on the East Coast of Demerara.
Over 60 golfers are expected to tee off this morning, fewer players that the organizers were expecting but has been attributed to Super Storm Sandy which affected some players from North America travelling here to compete.
Lusignan golf Club Captain Rawle Moore confirmed that players from the United States, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname are here for the tournament but most of the North American players were already here over the past two weeks before the storm wreaked havoc in New York, New Jersey and other parts of the United States.
The Trinidad and Tobago four-member contingent includes reigning champion Papo Haniff who won the 2011 tournament.
Guyana’s Christine Sukhram will be defending the ladies crown and according to officials of the LGC at least eight female players will be battling for top honours this year including the young and upcoming Joaan Deo.
The men’s draw will be intriguing with a show of force from the pugnacious continent North America which includes Mo Shaffie who won last weekend’s Digicel two-day Golf Classic, Roger Rajkumar, Andrew Claxton, Salim Rasheed, Prem Ramnauth and Hilbert Shields. Suriname 10-member team arrived yesterday morning and was involved in a practice session in the afternoon.
Thirty-six local players have registered and will be going all out ensure that the majority of prizes remain on local soil.
Included in the lineup are three-time champion Avinash Persaud, Mohanlall “Santo” Dinnanauth, Imran Khan, Alfred Mentore, Munaff Arjune, Mike Mangal, Fazil Haniff who will also be competing in the championship flight for players with handicap 0-10.
Other inform players include Kishun Bacchus, Rawle Moore, Colin Ming, Chatterpaul Deo, William Walker, Mark Lashley, Robert Hanoman, Patrick Prashad, Sookdeo Lakeram, Carlos Adams, Roy Cummings, Avinda “Gangoli” Kishore, Mighty Rajah, Troy Cadogan, Jorge Medina, John Tracey, Dr. John
Ram Singh, Muntaz Haniff, Maurice Solomon, Mike Guyadin, Gavin Todd and David Harry. The men’s tournament will be divided into three flights 0-10, 11-18 and 19-28 while the ladies tournament will be opened to 0-36 handicappers. The two-day tournament is sponsored by local beverage giants Banks DIH under the XM family of rums brand and will see the company’s Chairman Clifford Reis and other executives competing.
Sales and Marketing Executive Carlton Joao will send the golfers off with the symbolic tee off at 06:30 hours.
The winner of the tournament would be the player with the best gross while there will be prizes for best net, nearest to the pin and other individual prizes.
