Malawi’s top golf pro Chidale makes the cut in Kenya’s Safari Tour

Malawi top golf pro, Paul Chidale made a total score of 148 (73 in round 1 and 75 in round two) of the Safari Tour he has played at Royal Nairobi to make the cut in the top 20 — joint 11th with six others.

His 148 score was just six away from the winner — one of Kenya’s and Africa’s top pro, Greg Snow — who also tied with Ooko Erick Obura on 142 score.

On joint third on 143 score were three — Mutahi Kibungu, Samuel Njoroge and Robinson Chinhoi while C.J. Wangling was 6th on 144 score.

Position 7 was also shared by two pros on 145 score, 9th also shared by two others.

The player’s manager Patridge Shycal said this was an impressive performance by Chidale, who missed the first Tour but caught up for the second and will go for one more Tour in which he is geared to continue doing well to continue winning the cuts.

If he goes on to perform well in four other Tours scheduled for next year and get the cut in the top 12, he shall earn an outright place into the lucrative Kenya Magical Open set for March 2021 at the Karen Country Club.

According to reports from Kenya, more than 50 professional golfers are taking part in the Safari Tours as Africa continues to giving a glimmer of hope to the golf fraternity in continuing growing the game on the continent.

Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) tournament director, Patrick Obath, is quoted by www.t-off.co.keas saying the eight Tours will be played in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and have a prize fund of $180,000 across 12 events.

Only 20 players make the cut at every event with the tour winner decided on the total points amassed.

Chidale is Malawi’s current number one pro with a lot of experience playing in international tours in Kenya and Zambia together with Simon Moses and Victor Kachepatsonga.

He prepared for the Tours together with Moses and Kachepatsonga but he was the only one whom Professional Golfers Association Malawi (PGAMW) managed to get travel sponsorship for.

Sunseed Oil provided the return air tickets, Seedco donated US$400 as pocket money while NBS Bank gave US$1,500 as upkeep allowance.

By making the cut, Shycal said Chidale is bound to earn some good prize money as well as if he continues to make the cut in the next two tournaments and the other four next year.

“So he needs to keep the momentum going all the way to next year’s qualifying Tours in order for him to earn more money for himself,” Shycal said.

For many years, Malawian golfers have been playing as amateurs and that status forbid them from receiving cash prizes but they were entitled to material prizes like golf-related equipment, television sets, microwaves, trophies and other prizes.

Then it was decided to form the PGAMW in a bid to help top notch golfers earn money from playing golf as it is done in other countries.

PGAMW came up with the Warm Heart Pros Tour two years ago one of the international tours the association pledges to be hosting annually apart from the local tournaments.

Former Army Commander General Henry Odillo retired, is PGAMW’s president, Shycal as vice-president, Sakurai Mbanda as treasurer and Welkam Phiri as legal & corporate affairs director.

Other directors are Chilungamo Chimwaza (tour & player liaison); Dingaan Chirwa (rules & competition); Ben Wandawanda (sponsorships) and Catherine Matura (communications).

Other PGAMW directors include Webster Kaunga, Aboo Mohammed, Chikhulupiliro Mphatso, Abdul Vindhan and Gift Gondwe.

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