Thethy worries poor preps will see golfers perform dismally in European Tour event
By Lynette Matheka, August 14, 2020
Professional Golfers of Kenya chairman Charan Thethy says local pros are highly unlikely to be fully ready for the November 12-15 Kenya Open given the current situation in the country occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thethy cites restrictions adopted by most golf clubs restricting them to members only, and lack of competition since the government cancelled all sporting activities in March as the main hindrances to Kenyan pros getting the best preparations needed to compete at the Open.
As such, the chair opines that Kenyans will continue performing poorly at the European Tour event, not for lack of talent but poor preparations, and the organisers should do better.
“As PGK, we do not have plans for any tournaments to help our pros prepare.
The organisers of the Open have not reached out to us either for any consultations on how to go about this.
We are just seeing reports that they will begin the Safari Tour soon. Most clubs are not willing to open doors to non-members.
And even if they did, the government guidelines would make it almost impossible to hold any competitive golf tournaments now,” said Thethy.
He observed: “Our pros need to earn from these tournaments while getting their match fitness as well.
However, with the Covid-19 effects, it is hard to get corporates to sponsor such events.
Most pros are just trying their best to play at their own clubs, but even so, more members are free to play and sometimes it gets hard to find an opening to play since clubs have restrictions on the number of golfers allowed at a time.”
As for plans to start the Safari Tour at the end of August or early September, Thethy says it will not be enough time for the locals to be fit to compete against the best.
“At an individual level, our golfers are doing the best to prepare. This is an opportunity that any golfer would not pass.
However, their match fitness will be lacking. After such a long period without playing in a competition, we cannot say with certainty that those who had qualified in February are in the same form now.
“Maybe a golfer who did not make the nine-man list then is in better shape. Additionally, with the European Tour having resumed, our pros will be up against golfers who have played high level golf every week and it will be next to impossible to beat them hence the vicious cycle of poor performance,” he added.