Pro golfers eye lucrative NPGA

PROFESSIONAL golfers from all around the world are expected to descend on Swakopmund this weekend to make a serious bid for the N$1 million prize money on offer at the MTC-NPGA Championship.

The most prestigious golf tournament in Namibia, which prefaces the start of the summer swing of the Sunshine Tour, is to be staged at the Rossmund Golf Club at Swakopmund. The MTC-NPGA Championships will run from Thursday, November 12 to Sunday, November 15, including the pre-qualification rounds. It will be preceded by the two-day Pro-Am (Professional-Amateur) tournament consisting of three amateurs and one professional per team. NPGA president Adri Basson said due to huge structural changes at the Windhoek Golf & Country Club, the tournament had to be moved to Swakopmund. He said that by changing the venue the players from all over Europe, Africa, South America and Asia would be delighted to test their golfing skills at a desert golf course.Expected in Namibia are TC Charamba from Zimbabwe, who will be defending his title, as well as all previous winners like Anton Haig (also Malaysian Open Champion), Keith Horne, Thomas Aiken, Mark Murrless, Hennie Otto (Italian Open Champion), Adilson da Silva (from Brazil) and Alan M’Clean (Scotland and Canadian Open Champion). Unfortunately, Basson said, the field can only take 144 players and therefore there will be a pre-qualifying round because of the number of entrants. MTC spokesperson Albertus Aochamub said since it first hit our shores in 2004, the MTC-NPGA Championship has grown considerably and the organisers are barely keeping pace with the big demand for entry. He said that demand underlines yet again the popularity of the MTC-NPGA Championship on the Sunshine Tour. ‘MTC is all too happy to have played its role, as lead sponsor, to grow this tournament into what it has become. We are confident that this year’s MTC-NPGA Championship will continue the growth trends and that all the golfers from home and abroad will enjoy themselves thoroughly on the greens and during their leisure time. A Volvo car valued at N$580 000 can be won for a hole-in-one on the 16th hole at Rossmund Golf Club during the MTC-NPGA Championship. The MTC NPGA Championship has attracted players from various countries. Anton Haig was the winner in 2008. He also went on to win the Malaysian Open.Hennie Otto, who has patronised our tournament every year since inception, won the Italian Open.Keith Horne won the Namibian Open in 2007 and also came in second in the Malaysian Open.Thomas Aiken is doing exceptionally well in America – also won Namibia Open in 2005.Prize money Year: Previous Winners:N$500,000.00 2004 Mark Murless (-11 under Parr)N$500,000.00 2005 Thomas Aiken (-15 under Parr)N$600,000.00 2006 Anton Haig (-17 under Parr)N$700,000.00 2007 Keith Horne (-18 under Parr)N$1 million 2008 T.C. Charamba (-14 under Parr)