Tanzanians join hunt for Barry Cup in Mombasa

The stage is set for this year’s Coast Open Golf championship at the seafront links’ Mombasa Golf Club course this weekend.

A reduced field of 96, including a strong contingent of 16 players from Dar es Salaam Gymkhana, Arusha, Moshi and Mufindi golf clubs in Tanzania, was drawn to battle for the Barry Cup, one of the most prestigious cups in the country.

Earlier, the organisers had received an overwhelming 122 entries and Mombasa Golf Club being a nine-hole course, the field was reduced by a way of lowering the handicap limit from the usual 12 to nine and under.

However, some of those were dropped have been put on stand-by just in case of any last minute withdrawals. This year’s tournament is sponsored by Kenya Data Networks, who are also the sponsors of all the other Kenya Golf Union Golfer of the Year series tournaments, in conjunction with one time Coast Open title sponsors, Crown Berger.

It is the start of build-up activities towards the club’s centenary celebrations in 2011.

Mombasa Golf Club was established in 1911 while the cup was donated to the club by Percy Barry who was then a branch manager of the Standard Chartered Bank in Mombasa in 1913. It has been taking place annual save for the second world war years.

Meanwhile, the South Africa Golf Series enters its third week with the Central Rift Valley regional qualifying round at Nakuru Golf Club where over 100 players will vie for 12 slots on offer to the region in the national finals.

Action will also be in Machakos where the club is hosting the Isuzu Golf Day sponsored by General Motors and Thika Motor Delears.  

Thus this year, the event which is the oldest strokeplay event in the national calendar will be marking its 89th year. Sponsors Kenya Data Networks(KDN) and Crown Berger have lined-up a number of fabulous prizes to be won though the battle in the KDN GOTY series is more or less for the points towards the prestigious GOTY title where the winner will also earn an automatic entry to the 2010 Kenya Open.

Currently two players Sullivan Muthugia of Thika and Limuru’s Francis Kimani are tying at the top with 40.25 points. Muthugia has so far won three events namely Sigona Bowl, Winston Churchill Cup and the Coronation trophy while Kimani won the Mount Kenya and Muthaiga Open.

Closing to the two leaders are Ali Orende of Golf Park and Vet Lab’s Boniface Simwa with 33.50 and 33 points. Both Orende and Simwa are drawn at Mombasa this weekend and so is Muthaiga’s Collins Omondi who won the last GOTY event, the Limuru Open three weeks ago.

Omondi has been in great form this season though he has scored only 28.50 points and in fifth place at the moment. Also drawn in Mombasa is Kenya Amateur champion Ganeev Giddie from Sigona who last month beat Omondi at Karen in the finals to retain the title for the third straight year. Other leading players expected to parade at the nine-hole Mombasa Golf Course will be Joseph Karanja from Golf Park, Karen’s Anthony Kinuthia and Royal’s Hesbon Kutwa.

Leading the home challenge will be Samuel Kahindi while also flying the Coast flags will be veterans Terry Kaguta and Musa Odada, Gurbux Singh, Brian Masika and youngster George Munyao.

The top ranked player from Tanzania is handicap two John Leonce who is expected to spearhead the Tanzanian challenge with the view of returning the trophy back to Tanzania. It was won last year by Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club’s Bryson Nyenza who is now a professional.

Other top players in the Tanzania line-up includes Hamisi Ally, Idd Mzaki, Jimmy Mollel, Frank Roman, and Ally Mcharo. The course at the moment is reported to be in its best condition following the recent rains at the Coast. However the usual August strong wind is expected to be a major factor in deciding the 2009 champion.

Meanwhile the South Africa Golf Series enters its third week with the Central Rift Valley regional qualifying round at Nakuru Golf Club where over 100 players will vie for 12 slots on offer to the region in the national finals. Action also will be in Machakos where the club is hosting the Isuzu Golf day being sponsored by General Motors and Thika Motor Delears.