The 2021 amateur golf league is underway at both Falcon Golf and Country Club in Rwamagana and Kigali Golf Club as golfers square off in the playoffs battling for a ticket to the quarter finals that kick off on October 24.
Dubbed PMC Piga Mingi’ (PMC), the annual golf tournament returned in September after the government cleared sports activities to resume after an 18-month hiatus.
There are eight tickets at stake for the quarter finals and a total of 32 golfers who progressed from the group stages are now eliminating each other in the third round of the playoffs looking to progress to the second round of the playoffs, starting October 17, to produce eight golfers who will head to the quarter finals.
The third round of the playoffs started Monday and will run through to Sunday, October 10 to pave way for the second round of the playoffs.
Because there hadn’t been golf games for some time due to the covid-19 pandemic, and Eugene Murenjekha, one of the tournament organisers, told Times Sport that they were excited to see golfers back into action with new golfers meeting seasoned ones at the same golf setting.
"We had a lot of fun; golfers enjoyed a lot in terms of meeting new people, playing in new settings and making new networks, affirming the role of rules of the game,” Murenjekha said in an interview.
The ongoing tourney has so far produced surprising but interesting results where a mix of new golfers including the likes of Ivan Murenzi, Hubert Asiimwe, Alain Nyirinshuti progressed into the playoffs and found themselves in the same competitive stages as seasoned players like Innocent Rutamu, Marcel Byusa, Jack Kayonga, Robert Bafakulera, James Muigai, Kennedy Mirichu, Max Veglio and many others who are still in the competition.
The league has also seen a couple of women like Alice Rwigema and Cecile Mukami showing impressive performance that saw them progressing to the playoffs, making the tournament more inclusive and exciting than expected.
"Hopefully they are going to win. They are setting the pace at the PMC league and they are also leading by example. We hope to attract more women to participate in the golf game,” Murenjeka said.
After the second round of playoffs, eight players will qualify to the quarter finals which will also produce four players that will play the semi-finals slated for October 31, to decide who will play the final on November 6 at both Falcon and Kigali Golf Club.
Golfers are also competing in the ‘Foursome Championship’ and the ‘Four Ball Better Ball (BBB) Doubles championship’ where, in the latter, captains nominate two golfers from each of the eight groups to compete as pairs. This is also an elimination competition.
Organisers have lined up prizes in 13 categories including a prize for the group winners, Best Lady, Best Senior player, most improved player, Best Group, Best Captain, Runners-up Foursome, Winner Foursome, and Runner up BBB, Winner 4 BBB, Winners Choice Award, Runner Up and PMC Champion.
The prizes for each of the 2021 PMC league finalists include trophies, an air ticket that will be provided by tournament sponsor Kenya Airways as well as accommodation.