Golfers head to PGK Masters at Sigona Club
What you need to know:
- Kenya’s professional and leading amateur golfers who are preparing for the 2017 Barclays Kenya Open will this week shift their base temporarily to Sigona Golf Club for the Jamii Telkom/PGK Masters.
- The 72-hole Jamii Telkom/PGK Masters, held annually a week before the Kenya Open, is meant to give the local pros a chance to sharpen their skills ready for the Open.
- The tournament, sponsored by Jamii Telkom courtesy of Joshua Chepkwony, will feature Sh1 million in prize money for the pros and a total of 17 prizes for amateurs who will join the pros
- during Friday’s final round.
Kenya’s professional and leading amateur golfers who are preparing for the 2017 Barclays Kenya Open will this week shift their base temporarily to Sigona Golf Club for the Jamii Telkom/PGK Masters.
The 72-hole Jamii Telkom/PGK Masters, held annually a week before the Kenya Open, is meant to give the local pros a chance to sharpen their skills ready for the Open.
The tournament, sponsored by Jamii Telkom courtesy of Joshua Chepkwony, will feature Sh1 million in prize money for the pros and a total of 17 prizes for amateurs who will join the pros
during Friday’s final round.
According to the tournament’s director Elisha Kasuku, there will be no cut this time round. To feature in the money list, pros must play eight over par and better.
A field of 46 players, including some of the country’s leading amateurs, were drawn for Tuesday’s first round which gets underway at 8am. The leading amateurs will also have to play eight over par and better to win some of the amateur prizes on offer.
This year, the event which moves to Sigona for the first time, has attracted players from Zimbabwe and Uganda who will be challenging the locals in the country’s biggest pro event besides the Open.
Representing Zimbabwe will be Tongoma Charamba, a regular player in the Southern Africa’s Sunshine Tour while coming from Uganda will be Dennis Anguyo and Abbey Bagalana.
Leading the local challenge will be the long-hitting Dismas Indiza from Mumias Golf Club. The 49-year-old Indiza appears to have picked up his form at the right time as he prepares for the Open.
Other locals expected to play well will be Richard Ainley from Nakuru, Vet Lab’s Mathew Omondi, Riz Charania from Windsor, David Wakhu from Golf Park and Muthaiga’s Greg Snow who flew back home this week from Casablanca Morocco where he participated in the Mena Tour Qualifying School.
Snow, like Indiza, seems to have also re-discovered his top form as seen during Kenya Open qualifier at Muthaiga where he shot eight under par in 54 holes.
