RWANDA’s professional golfers Emmanuel Ruterana and Jean Baptiste Hakizimana are not taking part in the first leg of the lucrative KCB East African Golf tour due to financial constraints.

The four-day event which swung into action yesterday in Arusha, Tanzania will have professionals playing for Rwf6.9m in prize money.

With 40 golfers competing, MTN sponsored Akope fancied the Ugandans’ chances of making the cut after two rounds.

"We have competed with all these players before so there’s nothing to worry about. The course is good, any of us is even capable of winning the tournament,” Akope told the Ugandan media.

Only the top 20 will advance to the third and fourth rounds. After Arusha, the KCB East Africa tour will move to Kigali next month and then Kampala in July.

The tour will wind up with a grand finale at Nyali in Mombassa where Rwf. 53m will be at stake in cash prizes.

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