Anil chases Tour card in Zambia
Kenya's Anil Shah follows the progress of his tee shot on Day 2 of the 12th Tusker Malt Uganda Open at the par-72 Uganda Golf Club (UGC) Kitante course on September 28, 2017. PHOTO | EDDIE CHICCO |
What you need to know:
- He said his aim is to get his Sunshine Tour card back and be exempted for the next year’s qualifiers by finishing in top 120 in the Order of Merit.
- “I have achieved a lot here at home since I came back. Being the head pro at Muthaiga was great as I learned a lot on what it means to be a head pro in such a prestigious club.
- “I enjoyed coaching the national team which won the East Africa Challenge Cup, and the ladies team which finished second in the All Africa Challenge Trophy and won the Gilberson and Page trophy.”
Anil Shah, a former resident professional at Muthaiga Golf Club, flies out Friday to Lusaka to try and pre-qualify for the Zanako Masters, a Sunshine Tour event, from April 9.
Shah, who some years ago featured in the Sunshine Tour, has been playing in Lusaka preparing to return to the tour where at one time he finished 50th in the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
Then based in South Africa, Shah came back home five years ago after an injury.
“Playing on the Sunshine Tour is the only way I can compete effectively against international players in such events like the Kenya Open,” said Shah.
Although he played in the six Barclays Kenya Open pre-qualifying events organised by the Professional Golfers of Kenya, Shah, was not able to qualify and missed this year’s Open where only two Kenyan players made the cut.
Shah would like to also travel to Harare for the Zimbabwe Open at Royal Harare a week after the Zanako Masters.
SUNCITY CHALLENGE
The Zimbabwe Open will be followed by the Mopani Redpath Zambia Open in Kitwe soon after the Zimbabwe Open.
“I intend to play in all those events before I fly to South Africa for the PGA National Championship in Johannesburg from May 7 to 10,” he said.
If he plays well in the PGA Championship, he will compete in the Suncity Challenge before returning home for the Karen Masters which is this year part of the Sunshine Tour.
“I know it will be a difficult task playing in the Tour after five years, but that is the only I can put myself into shape in readiness for next year’s Kenya Open and other international events,” added Shah.
He said his aim is to get his Sunshine Tour card back and be exempted for the next year’s qualifiers by finishing in top 120 in the Order of Merit.
“I have achieved a lot here at home since I came back. Being the head pro at Muthaiga was great as I learned a lot on what it means to be a head pro in such a prestigious club.
“I enjoyed coaching the national team which won the East Africa Challenge Cup, and the ladies team which finished second in the All Africa Challenge Trophy and won the Gilberson and Page trophy.”
He, however, feels his place is on the Tour where he would like to finish what he had started.
