DAR ES SALAAM golfer Enosh Wanyeche emerged as the 2024 Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Trophy tournament's main event champion in the city last Sunday.

Wanyeche, who plays for Lugalo Golf Club, ended the three-day event impressively having notched a 224 total gross.

The 2024 CDF Trophy tournament was played at Lugalo Golf Club's course on Friday, involving players who battled it out in various categories, ranging from professionals to amateurs.

The main event concluded thrillingly, with Wanyeche edging his closest challenger and fellow Lugalo golfer, Isiaka Dunia (226 gross), and forcing Dunia to settle for second place.

Marius Kajuna finished third having returned a 230 gross total to wrap up a pulsating, all-Lugalo contest for the top three spots in the main event.

Ally Isanzu - who also features for Lugalo Golf Club - ended fourth with 231 gross total.

The tournament's professionals category ended with Arusha Gymkhana Club's Nuru Mollel beating the remaining professionals to the title after carding 149 gross total.

Mollel walked away with a cash prize amounting to 2m/- for emerging victorious.

Kili Golf Club's Isaac Wanyeche secured the second place after notching 150 gross total. He garnered a 1m/- cash prize.

A count-back decision handed Wanyeche the spot, considering the golfer was level with Elisante Lembris (150 gross) - therefore, Lembris ended third.

The tournament's Subsidiary category, which had golfers with handicaps gracing the course, had the golfers battling it out in divisions A, B, C, Seniors, and Ladies.

In Division A, the eight-handicap Khalid Shemndolwa took the top spot with 143 net, beating Godlisten Thobiko, who posted similar results, via count-back.

Division B saw the 18-handicap John Iddi topping the division, having returned 143 net.

Kennedy Kajuna, playing off 21 handicaps, emerged victorious in Division C after notching 141 net, and Gideon Reinsburg (142 net), who plays off 19 handicaps, secured second place.

The Ladies' category had the hosts' golfer, Q Zhang, having the last laugh, returning 144 net.

The 24-handicap Maryanne Mugo, who also notched 144 net, grabbed the second place in the category given the golfer lost out on the top place via a count-back decision.

Veteran golfer Edmund Mndolwa, featuring for Lugalo Golf Club, was the Seniors' category winner with 132 net.

In the Juniors' category, Ibrahim Juma beat the rest to the top place- garnering 75 gross in the category, which had the youthful golfers competing on the last day.

Mohamed Moshi secured the second spot, having lost the top place to Juma by a single shot.

Stephen Chuwalo of Lugalo Golf Club, playing off six handicaps, was the NMB Staff event winner after garnering 161 net.

Benson William (15 handicaps) - also turning out for Lugalo Golf Club- emerged as the Overall Net winner, having posted 134 net.

Lugalo Golf Club's Samwel Kileo won the Longest Drive's men's category prize whereas Kili Golf Club's Loveness Mungure laid her hands on the women's category Longest Drive prize.

Gertrude Mallya, NMB Bank's Head of Private Banking - whose bank sponsors the 2024 CDF Trophy showdown- lauded the army-owned golf outfit for developing the sport in the country.

"NMB Bank has been working closely with Lugalo Golf Club for a long time and we have kept on being the biggest stakeholders in the event for seven years," Gertrude disclosed during the opening ceremony.

The bank official stated her institution has been seeing to it that it firmly cooperates with Lugalo Golf Club to professionally organize the three-day showdown.

Gertrude appreciated the tournament co-sponsors willingness to join forces with the bank and see to it the competition is a success.

She said she is optimistic the brand-new car would turn this season's showdown into a highly competitive affair.

"This tournament has been taking place annually and our bank has been cooperating with Lugalo Club via sponsoring the showdown...the institution has dished out over 200m/- to sponsor this important tournament," Gertrude added.

"On behalf of NMB Bank, I duly congratulate the TPDF for promoting various sports, particularly golf," she noted.

Gertrude revealed that the bank has resorted to, this year, offering 35m/- to sponsor the CDF Trophy tournament, having acknowledged the showdown's importance to society.