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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 May 2000 Issue No. 480 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 May 2000 Issue No. 480
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters To the fore
By Nashwa Abdel-Tawab
TWO PROFESSIONAL golf players paid a one-day visit to Egypt to help promote the sport and give students of the game a chance to learn the ropes, writes Nashwa Abdel-Tawab
Lane going through the motions
photo: Salah Ibrahim
South African Retief Goosen, currently one of Europe's top 10 players, and Briton Barry Lane, another leading professional, began their day playing in a Pro-Am tournament at the Katameya Heights Golf and Tennis Resort along with several Egyptian golfers, amateurs and guests of Canon Egypt, the pair's sponsor. After lunch, Goosen and Lane gave a clinic for young golfers, followed by an exhibition in which their every stroke was closely watched by enthusiasts of the sport. The day ended with an informal gathering at the Katameya Heights clubhouse.
The visit was part of a three-year worldwide programme, the Canon Pro Golf Series, sponsored by Canon Europe, which aims to send a dozen top professional golfers to Europe, Africa and the Middle East where one day is devoted to promote golf in each country. In 1998, the series started by providing nine days in Europe. This year, the number of days rose to 16: 11 in Europe, including the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Holland and Iceland. Five days were awarded to Africa and the Middle East, which included the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Kenya, Turkey and Egypt.
Apart from Lane and Goosen, the Pro Golf Series includes other big-name players such as Colin Montgomerie, Seve Ballesteros, Bernard Langer, Costantino Rocca, Per-Ulrik Johansson, Padraig Harrington, Patrick Sjoland, Sven Struver, Peter Senior and Thomas Bjorn.
Lane and Goosen were given the task of selling golf in Egypt, a difficult job in a country where the game is not the most popular of sports. Nevertheless, their visit was deemed important by local players as well as foreigners residing here.
"It's the first time in more than 40 years that top ranked members in professional golf have played in Egypt," said Adel Hanna, managing director of ETCO, Canon's partner in Egypt. "Together with Canon we are proud to be part of this great occasion.
"We are very proud that we've given as many people here as possible the chance to share in this first-ever visit by top professional golf players. I hope this will promote sport more in Egypt," Hanna added.
Despite Egypt's short history in golf, the visit is testimony to the dramatic growth of the sport which has seen the opening of nine world championship standard golf courses in Cairo, Giza, Suma Bay, Gouna, Luxor and Sharm El-Sheikh -- all in less than four years. Moreover, the number of golf players has now reached 5,500. This quiet revolution was not lost on Goosen and Lane who were full of admiration for the Egyptians and the courses at Katameya Heights.
Goosen, 31, was introduced to golf at the age of 11 by his estate agent father, Theo, a 10 handicapper. In South Africa he set the golfing world on fire during his amateur years, winning 29 tournaments, including the prestigious Dewars South African Matchplay Championship in 1990. For his contribution to the amateur game he was awarded the Springbok Colours. Today, he is regarded as one of South Africa's brightest young prospects in a generation which includes Ernie Els. However, Goosen was struck by lightning as an amateur and, as a result, suffered health problems for some time afterwards. That stroke of bad luck did not prevent Goosen from turning pro in 1990 when he was just 21. He has won 13 major tournaments as a professional, including back-to-back Alfred Dunhill Cups and the French Open in two of the last three years. In 1999 he had eight top five finishes and has already added two more in 2000. Goosen finished behind Tiger Woods at the Deutsche Bank Open and again finished second at the German Open a couple of weeks later. The South African is obviously a hot golfer on the circuit who continues to be on the rise.
Englishman Lane, nearly 10 years Goosen's senior, is one of the most popular figures on the European circuit. Having turned pro at the ripe old age of 16, Lane began playing tournament golf in the mid-1980s. His nine first place finishes include the Equity and Law Challenge, the Bell's Scottish Open, the Mercedes German Masters, the Canon European Masters and the Anderson Consulting World Championship in 1995. The latter carried with it a $1 million first prize. He was also a member of the Ryder Cup in 1993.
Lane, married with two children, suffered some health problems during his professional golfing career, including an injury in 1998 which reduced his 1999 season appearances.
