Local golfers are preparing for a massive foreign invasion as more than 65 golfers will tee off this weekend in the Smirnoff Guyana Open Golf tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) on the East Coast of Demerara.
Hilbert Shields, President of the LGC told members of the media yesterday at Thirst Park to launch the two-day tournament that golfers are expected from Canada, United States, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago for the biggest tournament on the local golf calendar.
At least 12 golfers are due from Canada, six from the United States, 12 from Suriname and four from Trinidad and Tobago.
Play is expected to start at 07:00h tomorrow and Sunday with the player with the highest gross being declared the winner in the men’s category, while in the ladies’ category the player with the highest net score will be adjudged the champion.
This is the second year that Smirnoff Vodka, through its local distributors Banks DIH Ltd. will be sponsoring the tournament, but Shields noted that the local bottling giants have played an important role in the development of the Guyana Open tournament.
“Our association with Banks DIH has kept the tournament vibrant over the years and we would like to thank them for their support,” Shields said.
Banks DIH Marketing Executive, Carlton Joao, extended a warm welcome to the visiting golfers and outlined his company’s close association with the LGC including the recently held Junior Development Pro-gramme held in August with the ‘Red’ Perreira Sports Foundation.
“Banks DIH appreciates the work that the Lusignan Golf Club is doing for golf in Guyana and we are pleased to be in partnership with the Club,” said Joao.
The Course is reported to be in excellent condition and the Green will be very fast which should help the players. At least 12 lady golfers will be in action including defending champion Christine Sukhram and at least four players from neighbouring Suriname.
The men’s tournament is expected to be keenly contested but it is unclear whether defending champion 16-year-old Avinash Persaud will be defending his title.
Persaud, who left Guyana to train in Trinidad and Tobago, has so far not registered and, according to Shields, there was no serious commitment from him.
“We have to wait out the day to see what will happen because registration will be closed later today (yesterday),” he added.
But at least 15 players are serious contenders for the title including several former champions.
Among those registered are Alfred Mentore, Patrick Prashad, Mike Mangal, and others who have been showing top form this season including Raj Sankar, Colin Ming, Ronald Bulkan, Imran Khan, Ian Gouveia, Clifford Reis and winner of last weekend’s Pegasus Open Esan Shamshudin.
Tournament Director Sankar, disclosed that the players will be grouped in flights according their handicaps with the flights being 0-9, 10-17 and 18-28.
Visiting Canadian golfer, Ramesh Amrud, who attended the briefing said that he travels to Guyana every year for the tournament and hopes that he could take the winner’s prize home this year.
According to Shields it is fitting that the tournament is being held during Tourism Awareness Month, currently being observed in Guyana because of the support the sport has received from Guyanese in the diaspora.
