I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series returns

The 2024 I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series is scheduled to tee off on March 9 at the Entebbe Club before taking a two-month break for the second round to be played on June 29.

The penultimate round will take center stage on September 28 with the Series climaxing on December 7 to complete the four rounds.

Coming off a 2023 edition that received plaudits for ticking all the right boxes on and off the course, the Series has been rewarded with a spot on the annual Golf Union calendar and Shs 490 million package from anchor sponsors I&M Bank and partners including RwandAir, who will provide air tickets worth shs30 million to winners, Mitsubishi Motors, which has staked an Xpander as a hole-in-one prize, GA Insurance, who are the insurers of the hole-in-one prize, Johnnie Walker, who is the drinks partner, Fenon Events, and Goldman, who will enhance the 19th hole experience.

The routine dictates that after a long day of golf on the course, a 19th hole experience themed with entertainment and celebrating winners caps off a round.

The 2024 I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series has spiced things up on the course with four exciting formats of play lined up.

Round one will be played with the ’In regulation’ format in an individual event where one must land on the green in regulation.

Failure to do so warrants a penalty of an extra stroke but if one’s final score on the hole is a par or better, no penalty is incurred.

The second round has the ‘Tee for me’ format awaiting, the pairs’ event dictates both players tee off at every hole. They then switch balls for the second shot and play that ball until they hole out, the better net score of the pair on each hole is the score that will count as the team score.

However, each team must choose six holes where each player plays their ball from the tee shot to when the ball is holed out without switching and at these holes, the worse net score will count as the team score.

Golfers will have to navigate the ‘Russian Chicago Stableford’ for round three, a pairs event where each player plays their ball and records individual points per hole based on the scoring table.

The two teammates then multiply their points to get a team score on each hole.

The ‘Double Bogey Danger’ format of play will be the alternative for the final round. In this intriguing format, players start with their full set of clubs available to them.

However, whenever a player scores a double bogey or worse, he chooses a club to decommission. The player will continue to decommission one club per hole until they score a par.

Once the player scores a par, they will bring back one club into play and for every par scored, the player will be allowed to bring back one club into play.

As headline sponsors, I&M Bank set the bar high at the prize-giving ceremonies and are expected to uphold the standards this year.

CEO Robin Bairstow believes golf can go places and I&M Bank is dedicated to supporting the sport hit its peak.

“Sports plays a vital role in the socio-economic growth and transformation of communities. It is why I&M Bank has a strong commitment to sports and other activities that bring communities together. We strongly believe that investing in sports helps foster a culture of unity and healthy competition. This explains why we made a move to become anchor sponsors of the tournament,” said  Bairstow.

The new Katogo captain, Elly Kibuuka, has promised to serve diligently and leave a lasting mark with a successful series. “I appreciate the efforts by the outgoing chairman Hannington Mpiima. He set a strong foundation for me to uphold the values of the Katogo family. The captaincy is a huge responsibility, but I am sure with this kind of resourceful family, my job will become a shared responsibility, and therefore easier and enjoyable,”  Kibuuka said.

I&M Bank Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs Annette Nakiyaga  urged all eligible golfers to participate in the I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series, citing a healthy lifestyle, competition, and credible partnerships.

“There are a lot of prizes to win from different sponsors on top of a variety of business opportunities. Golf isn't just a wonderful way to make friends and keep fit, building business relationships and closing sales on the golf course is now common practice,” she said.

Having built a reputation that has seen it earn recognition on the Uganda Golf Union calendar, the objective is to transform the I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series into a top regional tournament, attracting the best golf talents while promoting the sport