Countdown starts for Lautoka Open

The stage is all set to host the biggest Shop N Save Su­permarket sponsored 94th edition of the Lautoka Open Golf Pro-Am Championship at the Golf Links course on Saturday, Octo­ber 4th.

Lautoka Golf Club Trustees chairman Raymond Singh has confirmed that over 100 entries from Fiji and abroad will be part of the 18 holes Individual Stroke event. This is a record number of participants.

Singh thanked Shop N Save Su­permarket directors Babu Rattan Deo and Neeshil Deo for partner­ing with LGC heading into its eighth consecutive year of spon­sorship.

“Professionals will fight it out for the $7000 cash prize purse while the passionate amateur golfers alongside a host of juniors will be competing for over $5000 worth of prizes,” Singh said.

This national golf Open event was first played in 1931 during the CSR (Colonial Sugar Refining Company) era, with expatriate J.H. McLeod winning the inaugu­ral tournament.

Past champions

Past champions to have carved their names on the Honours board include former World Number One and US (United States) Hall of Famer Vijay Singh who recorded back-to-back wins in 1981 and 1982.

Also, 1987 Tahiti South Pacific Games gold medallist Mahmood Buksh and Shiu Sami Naidu alongside LGC’s top ranked Daven Gopal, seven times consecutive winner of the Ba Open Anuresh Chandra, Olaf Alan Junior, VK Singh, Arvind Lal, Isei Waqa, Ra­jen Goundan of the Fiji Golf Club have all etched their names on the Honours Board alongside LGC’s captain James Krishna.

Former No.1 amateur golfer Abid Hussein made his presence felt with the lone champion from Pa­cific Harbour being James Pridg­eon.

Ba golfers Rafiq Mohammed, Jalen Raman, Indra Warjan and Vishwa Nadan are also prestigious winners of the Open. The defend­ing champion is Lautoka’s young gun Sajid Khan.

Shop N Save Supermarket head of marketing Vijay Krishna has confirmed that the company’s cor­porate responsibility to sponsor at LGC will continue into the future as a way of giving back to the com­munity.

Meanwhile, Singh thanked LGC tournament director Rajiv Lal and Greens director Reginal Ram for the timely effort to see the club road and golf course is being fully maintained for the 94th Shop N Save Supermarket Open.

Weekend Draws

The Lautoka Golf Club will host the Pre- LGC Open 18 holes Individual Stroke event on Saturday, which is sponsored by WestPoint Auto Spares of Lautoka.

Tee-off: 12.15pm to 1.15pm

Starters: Raymond Singh/James Krishna;

Cards: Asish Kumar/ Daven Muda­liar;

Match: Kavitesh Sharma/ Nilesh Chand;

Prizes: A,B,C, Juniors and new com­ers;

Cart hire: Regi on 9896335;

Prize presentation: Rakesh Pillay, Damodran Gounder

-Other club members are invited to be part of main event.