Jean-Baptiste Hakizimana gave his foils plenty to think about after a stellar performance in the Pro-Am, the first of two curtain raisers of the $6,000 (Frw 4m) Gymkhana Golf Club Captain’s Prize Tournament that teed off yesterday in Tanzania.

The MTN Rwanda sponsored golfer shot 81 points to finish second to Kenya’s Richard Ainley who returned 80 points.

The lucrative 72-hole tournament has attracted 22 professional golfers. Uganda, led by the Uganda Professional Golfers Association (UPGA) captain Deo Akope has fielded 12 golfers.

Kenya has five (Richard Ainley, Jacob Okello, Ali Kamani, Nicholas Rokoine and Ernest Mutema), Tanzania has three (Bryson Nyenza, Salim Dilunga and Salim Mwanyenza) while Rwanda has two (Hakizimana and Emmanuel Ruterana).

The first challenge for Hakizimana and Ruterana should be to make the cut after day two.

According to Akope, after the opening two rounds, only the top 12 golfers on the leader board will be in the fray for the final two rounds and consequently the cash prize.

"There is good money to be won so it’s important to focus and stay in the race after day two,” Ruterana told Times Sport on phone.

In the other curtain raiser (the $1,000 Club Nite), Hakizimana returned 31 points to finish in joint fourth spot with Kenya’s Arthur Kimani, Tanzania’s Bryson Nyenza and the Ugandan pair of Godfrey Mande and Dickson Lagoro.

Kenyan ace Rokoine won the top prize of $300 after carding 34 points.

$1,100 (Shs2.2m) is at stake for the overall winner. The four-day event wraps up an eventful reign of Dioniz Malinzi as Gymkhana Club captain.

Ends