Rwanda’s top golfer Emmanuel Ruterana is among 32 golfers who failed to make the final draw of the R2.4-million (approx. Frw 176m) Vodacom Championship that teed off at the Pretoria Country Club on Thursday. On his return Wednesday night, he said, “I failed to make the final draw because I didn’t pass the qualification test. Everybody down there is pretty good and I feel that I still have a lot to work on”. Kenyans Dismas Indiza and Anil Shah are the only East African representatives in the lucrative four day event that wraps up this afternoon after the Ugandan trio of Deo Akope, Amos Kamya and Godfrey Mande also failed to qualify. Just like the Africa Open, the Vodacom Championship is one of the events on the money-spinning Sunshine tour, which also boasts of four events co-sanctioned by the European tour. On the other hand, patience is of the essence for the country’s top amateur golfer Jean Baptista Hakizimana. Hakizimana squandered his chance of turning pro after failing to hit the qualification score in the Uganda Professional Golfers Association (UPGA) qualifying tournament that climaxed on Wednesday at Kampala’s Kitante Golf Course. Having topped the leader board on day one with a healthy score of 149, he played some wild shots the following day to finish off with 298, two shots off the qualification score which was hit by three time Uganda Open champion Stephen Birungi. Hakizimana together with the Ugandan trio of Vincent Byamukama, Gerard Ayella and George Olayo will now have to wait until June when the next Playing Ability Test (qualification tournament) takes place. Ends
