Nyanza hosts final leg of CIC Group-sponsored golf series
What you need to know:
- Resident pros Odhiambo, Owino to lead home golfers in challenging for title at lakeside club
- Chasing for the staff prize will be CIC general manager (Marketing and Distribution) Joseph Kamiri, CIC Life Managing Director Ezekiel Owuor and Nyanza-based Lawrence Obat.
This year’s CIC Group-sponsored golf series winds up with the fifth and final leg at the lakeside Nyanza Golf Club course this weekend.
Coming exactly two weeks after the fourth leg held at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa, this weekend’s tournament has attracted a small field of 76 players drawn from Nyanza, Kericho, Kisii, Kakamega and Mumias.
This is because at least 50 players from these five clubs in Nyanza and Western region will be representing their clubs in this year’s United Millers Championship at Njoro Country Club also set for this weekend.
But Nyanza captain Evance Manono expects more players to play through post-entries. Besides the captain himself, locals drawn in the stableford off full handicap event include handicap eight Noah Winja, Julius Omollo, Maurice Oduor, Cyllus Onyango, veteran Lucas Nyambogo and Ken Amalemba, among others.
Also drawn are the club’s two pros David Odhiambo and Peter Owino. The par-70 Nyanza course is at the moment playing short, a condition which may favour middle and high handicappers.
Also in the draw are a number of CIC Group guests, including former KGU chairmen David Mogere and David Nyakang’o who is also the president of the East Africa Golf Confederation.
Chasing for the staff prize will be CIC general manager (Marketing and Distribution) Joseph Kamiri, CIC Life Managing Director Ezekiel Owuor and Nyanza-based Lawrence Obat.
In the fourth leg at Nyali, Kamiri carded 33 points to claim the staff prize. Playing in a club-nite at Vet Lab on Wednesday, Kamiri also posted 40 points, an indication that he is probably the man to beat again this weekend.
This year, the CIC events were held at Limuru, Ruiru, Nakuru and Nyali. Away from Nyanza, Machakos Golf Club will this weekend host the last leg of this year’s Kenya Forest Service golf series which has attracted a field of 144 players drawn from various clubs including Thika, Railway, Golf Park, Ruiru, Kiambu and Kenya Air Force.
Over the last five or so years, Kenya Forest Services (KFS) has staged a series of golf events countrywide to sensitive golfers on the importance of tree planting and conservation. This year the events were held at Naivasha, Njoro, Thika, Kenya Air Force Eastleigh and Karen.
Like in the other events, over a dozen prizes will be at stake this weekend at Machakos. During the Thika Motor Dealers last month, David Muasya carded an impressive 41 points to beat James Ndunda on countback while Jackson Nzioki on 40 was third.
Ndunda and Nzioki will be in action this weekend while Muasya was not drawn. All the same, with the course still playing easy, some high scores are anticipated.
