Caddies tee up for Nginyo Championship

Kenyan caddies will be at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course on Monday for the Nginyo Investment national caddies golf championship.

The 18-hole stroke play brings together the country’s men and female caddie golfers.

According to the draw released by the national caddies co-ordinator Peter Mbatia, a large field of 182 players were drawn to battle it out for the overall title.

They were drawn from 23 clubs in the country namely Muthaiga, Nakuru, Limuru, Karen, Railway, Windsor, Thika Greens, Ndumberi, Great Rift Valley and Royal Nairobi.

Others are Vet Lab, Ruiru, Thika Sports Club, Njoro, Nyali, Mombasa, Vipingo Ridge, Kiambu, Machakos, Sigona, Nyeri, Nyahururu, and Nandi Bears.
Each of these clubs will be represented by five male and three female caddies.

This is the second time the event is being sponsored by Nginyo Investments.

Speaking about this year’s sponsorship, which is in the tune of Sh500,000, veteran professional player Lawrence Nginyo Kariuki, a supporter of caddie golfers in the country, said: “Caddie golfers forms a big bulk of Kenya’s golfing fraternity though they have not been getting the necessary support in form of sponsorship of their events, and this is why Nginyo Investments, as a company, we have offered to support this event among many other club events we have supported.”

Kariuki is a founder of Ndumberi Golf Club, the only golf club in the country to have been started by indigenous Africans way back in 1963.

Among the many former caddie golfers Kariuki has supported in the country include the late Kiambu pro Peter Njiru, who not only made the top 10 finish in the Kenya Open, but went on to win the J and B Africa Classic three times during his hey days.

Kariuki said the event offered an opportunity for him encourage the caddies from the various parts of the country.