– game on the rise after weekend’s tournament

PRESIDENT of the Lusignan Golf Club Aleem Hussain has made it clear that golf has the potential to increase the country’s tourism and revenue in the coming years.

Hussain made the disclosure in an invited comment at the conclusion of the Guyana Open Golf tournament over the weekend.

“We had close to 60 foreigners here for the two-day tournament, and I am sure they will spend close to $US10, 000 each… next year we expect close to 120 foreigners here, and it is estimated that golf tourists spend more than double what leisure tourists spend; so definitely the country’s tourism and revenues will benefit tremendously in the coming years,” the LGC President said.

Guyana’s potential to be a world class golfing destination was recently highlighted when a US$100M agreement was inked between the club and the Jack Nicklaus Group.

Meanwhile, Hussain described last weekend’s tournament as a huge success, adding that it was the biggest tournament on the local calendar.

“Golf’s popularity over the weekend appears to be on the rise locally. The tournament over the weekend really brought out an amazing number of people. It’s almost like there’s a renewed interest in golf here,” Hussain pointed out.

Meanwhile, over 100 golfers, both local and overseas, took part and in the end, Avinash Persaud and Christine Sukhram defended their titles with ease.

Persaud captured his ninth title to finish with an amazing 144 gross, while Richard Haniff with a gross 147 came in second. Kevin Dinanauth finished in third place after shooting a gross 148.

Sukhram, who started day two with a gross 88, showcased her true talent and character on Sunday to retain her title. She ended with a gross 171 and a net 149, while Shanella Webster claimed second position with a gross 171 and a net 139.

Sukhram told Chronicle Sport that the win was based on her will to win and the experience around the greens.

The soft-spoken golfer shows that she is no pushover on the course, overcoming her first day predicaments to win the prestigious tournament for the ninth time.

Sukhram was first introduced to the sport at age six by her now deceased father, Basil Sukhram, himself an avid golfer, coach and her mentor.

Sukhram’s growing love for the sport, coupled with the convenience of the course’s location, proved very valuable for her, as she was able to practise regularly and improve on her skills.

“The primary reason for my win was to refocus on my game after the first day of the tournament. As a matter of fact, after the first three holes of the second day I was nine shots down with 14 holes to go, so I regroup and was able to accomplish the impossible,” Sukhram said.