Aochamub urges change in golf

LOCAL golf administrators have received an earful from their main sponsor, MTC, which has demanded to see real transformation taking place in the code.

MTC spokesman Albertus Aochamub said at the close of the MTC NPGA Championship at the Rossmund Golf Club outside Swakopmund that it was about time that golf administrators ensured some real transformation in the code.Aochamub said his view on transformation did not imply that the Namibia Professional Golfers’ Association (NPGA) or the Namibia Amateur Golf Union (NAGU) should just get a few young black boys, throw them into the mix and claim that transformation has taken place.’When I talk about transformation I really mean that the golf administrators should go all the way to make the sport accommodative to not only blacks but also to other minorities such as women who dearly want to play this magnificent sport that they love so much. That is what we should understand by real transformation,’ Aochamub said. He said he also wanted to see more youngsters participating in the Pro-Am competition which precedes the professional event every year. In the Pro-Am competition, teams consist of three amateurs and one professional. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for the amateurs to learn a trick or two from the more established professionals, most of whom are from outside Namibia.At the moment, these amateur players are mainly old and experienced, prompting Aochamub to call for the inclusion of youngsters, black players and women into those teams.As a parting shot, Aochamub said room should also be made for young golfers to take over the administration of the sport. He expressed concern that once the old guard retire – the likes of 70-year-old Adri Basson, who is the current president of the NPGA – the code might struggle with continuity and its ability to host high-profile events might take a knock.’If you are able to implement all of what we expect, I can assure you of MTC’s continued assistance to further develop the code of golf in Namibia,’ he concluded. South Africa’s Hennie Otto won the 2009 MTC NPGA Championship after beating Titch Moore in sudden death of the 72-hole N$1 million tournament.Both players finished on eight-under 280 after Otto shot a six-under 66 and Moore a three-under 69 in the final round. Otto had a chance to seal it in regulation when he reached the 18th at nine-under, but his drive found a group of palm trees in the desert rough to the left of the fairway. He was only able to play into the middle of the fairway, and left his approach short of the green.