Though the tournament was going ahead as usual it was regrettable that under the rather trying times of the current Covid-19 pandemic there will be no post-match festivities.
THE ANNUAL Barney Barnato golf tournament teed off at the Kimberley Golf Club (KGC) on Thursday minus many of its local supporters and almost all of its traditional international players who put off coming to Kimberley owing to the raging Covid-19 pandemic
Tournament director Dave Wilson said that though the tournament was going ahead as usual, it was regrettable that under the rather trying times of the current Covid-19 pandemic there will be no post-match festivities.
“We will keep it low key. There will be no entertainment. We are offering three individual tournaments over the three days. There will be no post-tournament entertainment,” Wilson told the DFA on Thursday.
On the fairways itself things look their bustling best and on the KGC patio just off the back entrance a group of friends, Faried Richards, Fuad Mahri and Barney Turton were taking it easy waiting their turn to tee off.
Richards, a 15-year veteran of the tournament said the event has become an institution. “It is more a way of life for me now,” he said. “I particularly liked the camaraderie among the players. We used to have players coming from as far as Australia.
“I don’t think they will be coming because of the Covid. But we have guys from Cape Town and Joburg.”
Unfortunately, the Barney had to be cut down to three days. The Barney tournament is one of the biggest and one of three of the oldest ones in the country. The others being “Jock of the Bushveld” in Mpumalanga and the “Mad Hatters” down at Port Alfred.
But by all indications, it seems as if the Barney will give a good account of itself this year the Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding.