Nderitu wins ‘Nation’ Circuit on Nyeri course

Consistent Peter Nderitu emerged the best in a field of 110 golfers at the par-72 Nyeri Golf Club course during the weekend’s second leg of the 2015 Nation Golf Circuit.

And only five pars, three at the front nine and two at the back nine were enough for the handicap 25 Nderitu for a total of 42 points made up of 21 points in each nine.

“I always play well when I play with low handicap golfers. As usual, I try my best not to upset them with bad golf,’’ said Nderitu, who scratched the par three-18th after missing the green.

“The greens were a bit challenging but I gave it my best shot and I am so glad to have won a big event like this,’’ said Nderitu after receiving beautiful golf bag from Nation Media Group Chief Executive Officer Linus Gitahi.

Finishing in second place with 40 points made up of 21 and 19 points was Joseph Githui who beat third-placed Joshua Kinoti (22, 18) on countback.

Leading the ladies with a score of 35 points was the Nyeri Golf Club lady captain, Jane Munyori, while the club’s leading lady golfer Stella Mwangi came second on 32 points.

Veteran golfer George Kibira shot eight over 80 to win the gross title as Railway’s R. Maina carded 36 points, beating Thika Sports Club’s Ndiga Kithae by a point to claim the guest prize.

Nation Megia Group’s Human Resources Manager Azu Ogolla beat Ben Gachie on countback with 30 points made up of 15 points in each nine to take home the staff prize.

STARTED WELL, FIRING 18 POINTS

Gachie had started well, firing 18 points in the first nine although he found the going tough in the second nine where he only managed 12 points.

The two nines went to A.B. Kariuki and David Wachira with 21 and 19 points and as expected, Dan Weru hit a massive 340 yards driver at the eighth hole to win the longest drive contest. Flo Gathu took the ladies longest drive while Agina Kwach was the nearest to pin winner.
Peter Gichohi, playing off handicap five, posted 38 points to emerge the best caddy.

NMG CEO Gitahi was grateful for the support the tournament had received from the region. He said the club had made a tremendous improvement on its facilities over the past three years.

Elsewhere, Rory McIlory got acquainted with Chambers Bay golf course at the weekend in readiness for US Open confident that some time away from the game will have done him a power of good.

The world number one won the Wells Fargo tournament in Charlotte in mid-May on the back of a superb 61 in the third round. But oddly he followed that up by returning to Europe and enduring back-to-back missed cuts at the BMW PGA Championship and at the Irish Open on home turf.

His antidote for those blips in his recent form was to take a break. “I didn’t touch a golf club last week. I had played five weeks in a row, and mentally, I was ready to have a little break,” McIlroy said at the PGA Championship media day at Whistling Straits where he stopped off en route for the Pacific Northwest and the year’s second major.

“I just got away from it, did some other things I enjoy, got back to Florida on Sunday and started to practice. “Gearing up for the second major of the year, and my game is feeling in really great shape and I feel like I can have another summer not too dissimilar to last year.

The reference to last year concerned McIlroy’s back-to-back major wins at the British Open and the PGA Championship, taking his haul of major titles to four at the age of 25 (he is now 26). AFP