Kenya’s Long Drive team leaves for Mexico tourney

Kenya’s Long Drive team is set to leave the country Saturday night for Manzanillo, Mexico ready for this year’s International Long Drive Championship.

The team of four men and one lady, has been in training at Vet Lab Sports Club since September preparing for the world’s major championship in golf’s longest hitters.

The five were selected from a pool of 30 hitters during the Long Drive national trial held at Kenya Railway Golf Club on September 3.

Team coach Anokh Jai said it was the intention of his team to try and do better than last year.

“Though as a team we were placed fifth overall, two of team members were selected to play for an international selection where the team finished second and two others were selected for another international team where they were placed in third,” said the coach.

Two of the hitters, Jacob Okello (pro) and team captain, and Railway’s James Kamenchu as well as the only lady in the team Joyce Wanjiru of Kiambu were in Mexico last year.

The new-comers are Edwin Kiarie of Thika and Kericho’s David Biegon. “We have a great team this year with great players who I have a lot of faith in,” said handicap five Kamenchu, who started playing golf in 1995.

Of the five, Okello is the most experienced player having represented Kenya in many international events first as an amateur and now as a pro.

He came closer to winning the Kenya Open in 1998 at Muthaiga where he was beaten in sudden death playoff by Argentina’s Ricaldo Gonzalez.

His average hit is 341 yards same as Edwin Kiarie, while Kamenchu at 342, is the longest and Biegon hits at 328 yards while Wanjiru is at 272.

This is the third time Kenya is being represented in the World Team Championship set for the Las Hadas Golf Resort where the event starts with a practise round on Monday followed by the teams’ seeding round on Tuesday.

The main championship will be held from Wednesday to Saturday before the Kenya team returns home on Sunday.