Swaziland:A field of 44 top amateur golfers from 11 African countries, among them Kenya, tackled the wet and long-playing Royal Swazi Spa Country Club’s par-72 course on Monday from around 7:30 am in the opening round of the 2013 Africa Amateur Team Golf Championship. This follows Sunday’s conclusion of the 36-hole Swazi Open, where locals were joined by some visiting golfers.
Unfortunately, the Ugandan team was unable to participate in the game since the team arrived on Saturday evening and missed a game. Their delay was caused by a team members passport being left in a trolley in Oliver Tambo’s International Airport in South Africa. The team had to get their team member across the South Africa/ Swaziland border.
Among the countries vying for the top golf amateur spot were Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, hosts Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, and Reunion Islands. Each country was represented by four players and two officials. The course was not that difficult but requires a serious management. Monday’s first round was followed by the manager’s meeting 2pm to 6pm Swazi time.
The second and third rounds will take place today Tuesday morning and afternoon. This will also be the day when the Africa Golf Confederation led by South Africa based Alfred Dunn will hold its council meeting. The final round is set for Wednesday from 7am.-niaje
