All eyes on Wafula as Ladies’ Open tees off at Kiambu
PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO Naomi Wafula follows her chip from the 9th hole fairway to the green during their Kenya Ladies Golf Championship at Veterinary Sports Club on March 2, 2014.
What you need to know:
- Last weekend, Wafula steered her team to clinch the team title in Ladies Invitational tournament at Railway Club.
- Other leading contenders are lady golfer Flo Gathu, Stella Mwangi, Ben Inoti, past captain Eddie Karumwa, Nderitu Ndebu and current captain Joel Githanda.
Kenya’s top female golfer Naomi Wafula will be the star attraction at this weekend’s Ladies Open at Kiambu Golf Club.
Last weekend, Wafula steered her team to clinch the team title in Ladies Invitational tournament at Railway Club.
The 16-year-old Wafula from the Rose Naliaka Golf Academy has, in addition to the amateur title, collected many titles already this season. She is in a field of 70 lady golfers drawn from various clubs in the country who will battle it out for the top honours in the ICDC-sponsored tournament.
Among those drawn to challenge her are player Jane Njoroge, a long hitter who is in the same flight with Wafula. Other top contenders will be Wafula’s colleagues in the Naliaka Academy, Mercy Nyanchama, Mary Monari and Agnes Nyakio and another Kiambu player Joyce Wanjiru.
Grace Githere, Kiambu Golf Club lady captain, said the tournament will double up as a platform for investors in Kiambu business community to engage and get financial assistance from ICDC to develop their businesses in the county. She said the course is in a good condition and expressed optimism that players would register good scores.
Meanwhile, a field of 120 players will vie for five slots reserved for the Mount Kenya region in the grand finale of the Pan Africa Life Cancer Challenge to be held at Muthaiga on September 20.
LEADING CONTENDERS
This weekend’s tournament is open not only to the clubs in the Mount Kenya region of Nyeri, Nanyuki, Nyahururu but also those from as far away as Thika. Leading the home challenge in the Stable ford-scoring event will be Dan Weru.
Other leading contenders are lady golfer Flo Gathu, Stella Mwangi, Ben Inoti, past captain Eddie Karumwa, Nderitu Ndebu and current captain Joel Githanda.
Those from Thika will include single-figure handicap golfers John Komo and past captain Patrick Gakuo. Like last year’s series, the overall winner at the grand finale will travel to South Africa for the Sanlam Cancer Challenge at Sun City.
Elsewhere, the Kenya Forest Service will sponsor the Chairman’s Prize at the par-73 Nakuru Golf Club course this weekend. The event, which has attracted over 100 golfers, is part of a drive to promote commercial tree planting which has become popular with golfers.
