Handicap 18 Maina wins AAR tourney

Handicap 18 golfer Angelus Maina beat a field of 142 players at the par 72 Ruiru Sports Club course, to emerge the overall winner of the AAR HealthCare tournament at the weekend.

Despite the wet condition of the course due to the morning and afternoon rain, Maina, hardly four years in the game, managed to post an impressive 39 points to claim the overall prize, a beautiful golf bag, among other prizes.

He used big irons to get the correct distance over the long playing course. “Since the balls were not running that much, i had to use slightly big clubs to get the distance and be able to score’’ said Maina, who also won the Gitthunguri Day tournament recently.

He made three pars, five bogeys and a scratch at the 16th for 19 points though he had posted 20 points at the front nine where he birdied the par five-second hole.

“It is so great winning this event considering that i have been a member of AAR HealthCare since 1995’’ said Maina, after receiving his prize from AAR HealthCare managing director Charles Kariuki, during the prize giving ceremony.

He won by one point from men winner Rugu Njoroge, who combined 18 and 20 points, as Ciira Kiiyukia on 37 points beat former captain Githinji Itegi on countback to finish second, with Itegi taking the third prize.

Itegi, who carded 18 and 19, said his short game was back and that is why he has been posting good scores lately.

“My short game which contributed 40 per cent in the game is fine now and you are likely to see me featuring in many prize lists from now henceforth’’ said Itegi.

Pauline Mungai clinched the ladies first prize on 34 points, beating Margaret Muriu and Shobanna Patel by a point, as Kenya Air Force’s Isaiah Nderitu on 32 emerged the best guest, while Linus Wachira and Benson Kimani won the nines with 21 points each.

Speaking during the prize giving ceremony, AAR HealthCare managing director Charles Kariuki thanked Ruiru members as well as other golfers from various clubs for supporting the event.

He said AAR HealthCare which has been operating for past 33 years, is now partnering with almost all the major insurance companies in the country.

“We have a total of 18 centres in various parts of the country and we welcome you to sample our services which i can assure you will not regret’’ he said.

Kariuki said besides healthcare, AAR was non involved with taking care of the environment and promised to work with Ruiru Sports Club to plant more trees on the course which he said will prevent the course from drying up every often.

Kariuki, who led a strong team of managers and staff who included head of marketing Christine Tindi, promised to sponsor the event again at Ruiru.

Players who participated in the event had the opportunity of getting medical check-ups, nutrition and physiotherapy advice.