Local golfers will be looking to stave off a strong challenge from their overseas counterparts as a record field is set to compete in the Smirnoff Guyana Open Golf Cham-pionships this weekend at the Lusignan Golf Course.
Secretary of the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) Ronald Bulkan has indicated that the local players are in top form and will be going all out to upstage their counterparts from the United States, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and neighbouring Suriname.
He disclosed that the local players have had a full year of competition and were in much better shape than last year when Canadian-based Guyanese Jai Paul carted off the prestigious title of Guyana Open champion.
“This title will remain in Guyana,” Bulkan said with confidence at yesterday’s Media Briefing at Banks DIH Conference Room Wednes-day.
But Mo Shafi, who is leading the United States delegation told Stabroek Sports that they have selected a strong line up and at least three players were strong contenders for the title.
He identified Salim Rashid, Anwar Shaffie and F. Shafi as some of the strong contenders for the title.
The reigning champion Jai Paul is already in the country and showed early signs as one of the players to beat when he won the Best Gross at last weekend’s Dask Enterprise tournament.
However, 2006 Guyana Open champion teenager, Avinash Persaud, who missed last year’s championships due to commitments in the Twin-Island Republic, has returned for this year’s tournament and joins several other local players including Patrick Prashad, who has been in tremendous form this season and Imran Khan another in-form player in an effort to repel the overseas threat.
Club Captain Jerome Khan is also optimistic about the local players shining this weekend against tough competition.
According to Khan this is the largest field for any competition locally highlighting the interest shown in the tournament this year.
He disclosed that 72 players have registered forcing the organizers to start the tournament earlier on the opening day due to the overwhelming response.
The Suriname contingent is expected to arrive today while more players from the United States, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago are due over the next two days.
Khan disclosed that the Suriname team will include several female players who are expected to test two-time defending champion Christine Sukhram.
Shafi, a US-based Guyanese said that he has been involved in encouraging former local players to return home for the championships annually and noted that the response is heartening.
The local distributor of Smirnoff Vodka, Banks DIH Ltd. is sponsoring the championships for the third successive time.
The tournament run off tomorrow and Sunday.
