KIGALI GOLF CLUB (KGC) is set to host a fundraising tournament on Saturday to raise funds for top professional player Jean-Baptiste Hakizimana’s upcoming US PGA tour.

Hakizimana qualified to participate in the Western Ohio professional Golf Tour set to run from August 4 through November 30.

The Kigali Golf Club Captain Anthony Olwit told Times Sport yesterday that the fundraising tournament is aimed at offering financial support to Hakizimana such that he can realise his dream of featuring in the PGA tour.

"We will have a tournament and fundraising event. All the money to be collected from the event will go towards supporting his trip,” Olwit said.

"We are proud of Hakizimana. He is one of the few golfers from the whole of East Africa who will compete in a US PGA tour, thus the need to help him achieve his dream,” added Olwit.

Hakizimana, this year’s Rwanda Open title winner needs at least $20,000 (Rwf14 million) to be able to travel and compete in the three-month tournament.

Hakizimana has been a member of Kigali Golf Club since 2004 and he has shown the most remarkable development of both golfing skills and character amongst his peers having played for the Rwanda national team for four years before turning professional in 2009.

By competing in the West Florida golf tour, he will be able to secure a Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) tour card to enable him compete in worldwide professional tours.

While in Florida, he will compete in 22 golf tours which have attracted elite golf players from United States and North America.

Early this month, the 29-year-old won the 18th Rwanda Golf Open, firing an amazing 292 over the four days to overcome Kenyan challenge led by second-placed Dismas Indiza, Simon Ngigi and Richard Ainley.