Tusker Malt will be title sponsors once again for the 81st edition of the Uganda Open Golf tournament, following their announcement of a 600 million cash sponsorship at the picturesque Serena Kigo Golf Course, on Thursday afternoon.
The tournament is Uganda’s most prestigious golf championship and is slated to take place from the 6th to the 29th of October at the world-class Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa with different events on the course.
The par-72 golf course will be host to seven events which are the Ladies Open from the 6th to 8th, the Seniors Open from 14th to 15th, Sponsors Par 3 Competition on the 19th, Amateur Open from 19th to 22nd, the Pro-Am on the 25th of October and the professional Open from 26th to 29th October.
Tusker Malt Lager, the tournament’s title sponsor and Uganda’s biggest supporter of golf has made a total injection of Shs600m in this year’s Open, of which Shs100m has been set aside as the pros’ kitty.
Tusker Malt has also promised a worthwhile experience at this year’s Open as they are setting up a first-of-its-kind hospitality village.
“Tusker Malt is brewed for the finest and there is no doubt that golf is the finest sport out there. This year, we are elevating the golfing experience. Our intention is to invite more people into the game of golf and our hospitality village will double as an entertainment zone for the players to wind down after the games and also for anyone interested in golf to interact and learn more about the game,” shared Daniel Kalungi, Division Sales Manager at UBL.
In line with their mission of making golf more accessible and ensuring equitable development of the game across the country, Tusker Malt will work with the Uganda Golf Union to hold a tour across select golf clubs around the country after the Open.
Uganda Golf Union President Moses Matsiko said that this year’s Open expects a record 400 players from across the world.
“Already, we have registered players from several countries including neighboring Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Malawi, and the USA. I can confidently say it is a global tournament,” Matsiko said.
It is the second time that the tournament is happening at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa in Kigo.
“We are proud to host this prestigious tournament. This is one of the best courses on the continent. The Open will serve as a good opportunity to showcase Uganda as a golf tourism destination to the world. The course is in its finest state ever and we are certain golfers will have a wonderful experience,” Theodor van Rooyen Serena’s golf manager said.
The resort has set special golfers’ accommodation packages at $140 for singles and $160 for doubles every night.
Absa Bank has injected Shs200m in this year’s tournament.
Herbert Olowo, Head of Operations at ABSA, said, “The Open is one of the most prestigious and anticipated tournaments on Uganda’s golf calendar, and as a bank, we are proudly associated.”
“We remain committed to the growth and development of the game in Uganda, which we continue to demonstrate by bolstering the capacities of the local clubs to host impactful tournaments like this and support the talented players that continue to dedicate time and effort to improve their game.”
NBS Sport has come on board as the official broadcast partner.
“We want to take our 10 million viewers across the country to the Open, which we will also use as another opportunity to celebrate the history of golf in Uganda in line with Uganda’s 60 years of independence celebrations,” said Joseph Kigozi, General Manager, NBS Sport.
Registration for the tournament is now accessible through the Uganda Golf Union web portal at www.golf-uganda.com.
Other sponsors for the tournament are Pepsi, Case Hospital, HK Properties and HTC Hub.
