Three former national golf team members are preparing to turn professional early this year. The trio are former captain Frank Roman, Michael Makala and Nuru Mollel.
The Professional Golfers Association of Tanzania (PGAT) Chairman, Ali Ismail, told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam that all three players have shown interest to join those in the paid ranks, saying the process to register them is underway.
Ismail said that Mollel will join them from Arusha Gymkhana Club (AGC), while Makala is from Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) and Roman is from Moshi Gymkhana Club.
Roman, who won the Tanzania Open at the TPC Moshi Club last December, has turned his focus on professional golf after being dropped from the national team in October last year.
He lost the captaincy to youngster Victor Joseph, who led the team that finished third at the African Zone Five in Naivasha, Kenya last October.
“It’s true that all three amateur players want to join professional golf, I talked to them on different occasions at the end of last year,” said Ismail.
However, only Makala has so far finalised the important procedures to join the professional rank and they are still waiting for the other two players.
“With the focus we have and desire to develop the game and attain its intended goal, it is good news for us to welcome new talented golfers at the PGAT,” Ismail said.
He added that Tanzania still has few professionals while the country needs to have as many as possible. “I know them all, they are good golfers, they played for the national team for several years.
I think it is the right time for them to join professional golf and add something to the association,” he insisted. Ismail said that the new members will also add competitiveness, which will propel other pros to improve their levels.
Currently, Tanzania has only 12 professional golfers – a number considered to be too low compared with their neighbours Kenya and Uganda.
However, the biggest challenge is that the abilities of the local professionals fall short of their rivals and Ismail hopes that the new faces will have to work hard to help bring about the much needed changes.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News
