Resurgent Nandwa leads national series table

Alfred Nandwa in action at a past competition at Thika Sports Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Top amateur players also eye Africa Region Five Championship berths
  • Railway’s top golfer is now 26.1 points ahead of ex-champ Karichu of Limuru

Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Alfred Nandwa is sitting comfortable at the top of the points table in this year’s Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series following his easy victory in last weekend’s Muthaiga Open.

The plus one handicap Nandwa, who appears to have picked his form at the right moment due to his daily practise sessions, fired a 54-hole total of two over par 215 to win the Muthaiga Open, the third leg in this year’s Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series six shots from Royal Nairobi’s Jay Sandhu.

This victory earned Nandwa 84 points because of his final round one under par 70, for a three rounds total of 137 points.

An under par score earns a player some bonus points. He is a whole 26.1 points ahead of former Golfer of The Year (Goty) champion John Karichu of Limuru Country Club.

Karichu, who made a slow start at Muthaiga by firing seven over par 78, improved in the last two rounds where he shot two identical two over 73 each for 24 points and a total of 111.5.

He kicked off this season with a victory in the Sigona Bowl at Sigona last month though he did not play well in the Mount Kenya Championship in Nyeri.

Royal Nairobi’s Jay Sandhu, came second at Muthaiga with rounds of 78, 71 and 72 for 48 points and a three-events total of 92 points.

Sandhu, who rarely plays outside Nairobi, is trying to make a come-back to the national team.

The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) will select a team of four players after next month’s Windsor Classic to represent Kenya in the 2017 Africa Region Five Championship in Kitwe Zambia in April.

According to KGU vice chairman Richard Wanjalla, who is also the tournament director, the leader of the KAGC series after Windsor classic and three players from the second to the fourth in KAGC Order of Merit, will make the team to Zambia.

At Windsor, the amateurs will be joined by the local professionals, who are featuring in a number of KAGC events this season courtesy of the Golf Talent Foundation.

Meanwhile, Sh942,380 was raised at Muthaiga Golf Club in support of the junior teams for this year’s All Africa Junior Golf Championship in Zimbabwe next month.

The Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) president Gitonga Kabera thanked Prime Bank and all the other sponsors as well as the golfers who participated in the event.

“The Zimbabwe event is very important in that, it is the Africa qualifying event for the Toyota World Junior Championship in Japan" said Kabera.

Kenya, will send a team of four boys and three girls. The All Africa Junior Championship will take place from March 26 to 31 at Royal Harare Golf Club.