Brian Mugume

Rwanda�s professional golfer Emmanuel Ruterana is ready to stage a tough challenge on regional's elite golfers during this year's annual KCB Kenya Open championship that tees off at Nairobi's par-71 Muthaiga Golf Club on March 25.

Ruterana who traveled to Nairobi for acclimatization last week said that he had a good preparation stint in Kigali and will use the Muthaiga course days before the event starts to improve on his match play and stroke play respectively.

"I am ready and prepared to challenge East Africa's golfers. I have trained heavily for Kenya Open. I will be hoping to finish among the victors."

"I expect a tough challenge against the Kenyan but they should also be ready for me. I am going to Kenya to win and hopeful I will achieve my target in this tournament," Ruterana added.

Ruterana is the only Rwandan who will compete in the event and fellow golfer Fraterne Hakizimana will be his cuddy.

With prize find package amounting to Euros 190,000, the event has become highly lucrative and the purse highlight correlated competitiveness.

The event to be held at the Muthaiga Golf club has been an event on the European based Challenge Tour schedule since 1991.

Previously, the Kenya Open title has been won by some of Europe's biggest Ryder Cup stars, including Severiano Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Ken Brown and Christy O'Connor Jnr, as well as future Masters Champion Trevor Immelman.

The event would draw players from all over Europe and the Africa region and is the oldest championship on the African Leg of the PGA European Challenge Tour.

Besides the field of about 100 players from the European Challenge Tour, other players will come from Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda and Nigeria.

The Kenya Open would be preceded by an 18 round Pro-am golf and but Rwanda is yet to confirm her participation.