Sixty pros on card at Morobe Open

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

THE 2013 Coca-Cola Morobe Open golf tournament has the same A$100,000 (K224,261) prize money on offer but greater player representation from Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Philippines.

The tournament’s Pro-Am event started yesterday with a good crowd watching professional golfers teaming up with amateurs, while today will see the 60 professionals teeing off with the aim of becoming the overall winner.

The 60 professionals include Papua New Guinea’s Augustine Peni, Robert Peni and Nelson Gabriel and 26 first timers from overseas who have until Sunday to see who comes out ahead.

Tournament director Peter Boyd said the winner would walk away with A$18,000 (K40,363) on Sunday. He said the tournament, which was voted the Queensland PGA 2009-2010 tournament of the year, had attracted interest from overseas golfers.

Apart from last year’s winner and defending champion Josh Younger, all the five previous Morobe Open champions since 2008 have returned to the Lae golf course.