Big field for Kenya Open curtain raiser

Mumias Sugar Golf Club's Dismas Indiza follows the progress of his tee shot from the 18th tee during the Third Round of Barclays Kenya Open Golf tournament on April 11, 2015 at Karen Golf and Country Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Champion Porteous skips this year’s tournament
  • 168 golfers, among them 84 pros, to play in second Pro-Am on Wednesday at Karen Club
  • Unlike in previous Pro-Am events, each amateur will this year play with one pro.
  • Kenya Open Golf Limited chairman Peter Kanyago will be joined by Tom Murray at 12.30pm.

A big field of 168 golfers, among them 84 pros, will tee off in the second curtain raiser of the Kenya Open, the Barclays Bank of Kenya Pro-Am, at Karen Country Club.
Unlike in previous Pro-Am events, each amateur will this year play with one pro. That means a four-ball team will be made of two amateurs and two pros. The pros will battle it out for cash prizes while a number of take-away prizes will be at stake for amateurs.

For the second year, both Pro-Am events are being held at the same venue as the Open but on different days. Among the visiting pros drawn in Wednesday’s tournament are two former Kenya Open champions Maarten Lafeber from the Netherlands and Spaniard Jordi Garcia Pinto. Cephas Osoro will partner 1999 champion Lafeber while 2013 winner Garcia Pinto will team up with David Nduati. Also drawn is Finland’s Jaako Makitalo who tied in sixth place last year and who is among the favourites this year in the absence of defending champion Hydn Porteous of South Africa.

Makitalo will play along with Andy Watt on Wednesday, while Barclays Bank of Kenya CEO Jeremy Awori will be partnered by C. Bezuidenhout.

Kenya Open Golf Limited chairman Peter Kanyago will be joined by Tom Murray at 12.30pm.

Besides the visiting players, Wednesday’s draw also features seven local pros who will be battling it for the first cash prize of 600 Euro (Sh67,200).

They include Golf Park’s Jacob Okello who is drawn with amateur Tom Chirchir, Dismas Indiza who will play with Karen’s Ashwin Punja and Golf Park’s Tony Omuli who is drawn with former lady captain at Vet Lab Mary Maingi.