Dar es Salaam. Famous professional golfers, Nuru Mollel and Fadhyl Nkya, have qualified for the Dubai tournament after securing high rankings in the order of merit from the recently concluded Lina PG Tour.

Joining them is Lugalo’s elite amateur golfer, Isiaka Mtubwi, who will also compete in the prestigious event scheduled for February next year.

Mollel, representing the Arusha Gymkhana Golf Club, scored 90 points across five Lina PG Tour series.

For his part, Fadhyl, from the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Golf Club, accumulated 78 points in five events, earning his spot in the Dubai tournament.

In the order of merit rankings, Mollel scored 20 points in the first event held on the TPC golf course in Moshi, 16 points in Morogoro, and 20 points each in the Arusha and Moshi events.

In the grand finale held on the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Golf Course, he added 14 points to his total.

Fadhyl scored 20 points at TPC, followed by 10 points each in the Morogoro and Arusha events. He then garnered 18 points in Moshi and concluded the series with 20 points in the Dar es Salaam finale.

KiliGolf professional golfer Isaak Wanyeche was placed third with 74 points.

Completing the top five were Hassan Kadio of Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club and Lugalo’s Frank Mwinuka.

The order of merit rankings featured a total of 20 professional golfers.

In the elite amateur category, Mtubwi scored 86 points. Representing Lugalo Golf Club, he earned 16 points in the TPC event, 18 in Morogoro, 14 in Arusha, 18 in Moshi, and capped off with 20 points in the Dar es Salaam grand finale.

Speaking with The Citizen, Lina PG Tour director Yasmin Chali expressed gratitude to all golfers and stakeholders who competed.

She emphasised that the event not only promoted golf but also honoured the late Lina Nkya, a pioneer in the sport and a life member of Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club.

Known as the “Mother Golfer,” Lina Nkya significantly impacted Tanzanian golf, transforming the Kobe Golf Tournament into a nationally recognised event over 11 years.

She also championed the inclusion of caddies as players. Nkya passed away on January 19, 2021, in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region.

The tournament was organised by the Said Nkya family in collaboration with the Tanzania Ladies Golf Union, Tanzania Professional Golfers Association, and Penda Golf Tanzania.

The event exclusively featured Tanzanian professional and amateur golfers.