Priests run away with top prizes

A middle handicap golfer Fr David Munyeki beat a field of 82 players at the par 72 Nyahururu Sports Club course to claim the overall prize in the Nation Media Group sponsored tournament on Friday.

Thanks to a strong foundation of three over par 22 points in the front nine, Munyeki playing off handicap 14 finally completed an 18-hole total of 40 stableford points to win by one point from another priest Fr Nicholas Kamau.

“I attribute my victory on my putting and the team I was playing with who encouraged me when they realized I was playing well,’’ said Munyeki.

He had six pars in the front nine and three pars for six over par 18 at the back nine.

On the other hand, Kamau combined 18 and 21 for 39 points to finish second, while Charles Kieru with 19 points in each nine for 38 beat Njoro Country Club captain Alfred Nandwa on countback to finish third.

Nandwa had fired three under par 69 gross though the gross prize went to Nakuru’s Salat Singh on three over par 75.

WON GUEST PRIZE

The women’s prize went to E. Wambui on 36 points same as the staff winner Linus Gitahi, the out going Chief Executive Officer, who posted 16 and 20 points. Mumias Golf Club’s Omar Lewa won the guest prize on 33 points as O.B.Kinandu and Francis Kabona won the first and second nine with 21 and 20 points.

Salat Singh and Josephine Kaime won the longest drive contest and winning the nearest to pin prize was Francis Mwangi.

Speaking during the prize giving ceremony, Gitahi thanked Nyahururu golfers for supporting the Nation over the years.

“You have been supporting us not only through the Nation Golf series but also in terms of business and this is why we decided to come to Nyahururu and sponsor this event,’’ said Gitahi.

Also present during the event was Laikipia County governor Joshua Irungu, who said his county will support the club in its effort to improve its facilities as well as the recruitment of new members.

Besides the golf event, the Nation had earlier, in conjunction with Ahadi kenya Trust, sponsored an anti-jigger campaign at Ewaso Narok Primary School at Ewaso Narok village in Laikipia County.

INDIZA VICTORIOUS IN KISUMU

Elsewhere, Mumias-based professional Dismas Indiza shot two under par in the final round of the KCB Golf Tour at the par 70 Nyanza Golf Club course on Friday to claim the top prize with an all rounds total of seven under par 273, beating Royal Nairobi’s David Wakhu by four shots.

Like the first three rounds, the long-hitting Indiza made a number of birdies but also dropped some.

“I am happy winning though the tough condition of the course made it difficult to win with a much lower score,’’ said Indiza.

Wakhu on the other hand fired a back to back 69 for a total of 277 to claim the second prize of Sh118,000 while the winner Indiza took home Sh170,000.

Finishing third among the 12 pros who had made the cut, was Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige, who posted one over par 71 for 279.

Round one leader Riz Charania took the fourth prize on 280 after a final round 69.

The event was expected to wind up yesterday with the amateur event that had attracted a field of 100 players from Nyanza and Western region.
The final leader board after the final round.

On the international field, Rory McIlory was due to get acquainted with Chambers Bay golf course on Saturday ahead of next week’s US Open confident that some time away from the game would 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. (Additional reporting by AFP)