124 players set for first Pro-Am tourney
What you need to know:
- The second Pro Am event on Wednesday will feature 115 players with 29 pros to battle it out for some of the cash prizes being offered.
- During the KCB sponsored “Road to Karen Masters’’ amateur series, over 30 amateurs qualified to play in the two events, though majority of the players are Karen members this being a Karen Country Club tournament.
The par 72 Karen Country Club course will on Tuesday host the first of the two Pro-Am events in this year’s KCB Karen Masters tournament being held under the auspices of the Southern Africa’s Sunshine Tour.
The two curtain raiser events set for Tuesday and Wednesday offer an opportunity for Kenya’s amateur golfers to play with the visiting professionals, some of whom have played in Kenya and at Karen in particular during the Kenya Open.
Tuesday's Pro-Am has attracted a field of 124 players, including 31 professionals where each pro will play with three amateurs.
The second Pro Am event on Wednesday will feature 115 players with 29 pros to battle it out for some of the cash prizes being offered.
During the KCB sponsored “Road to Karen Masters’’ amateur series, over 30 amateurs qualified to play in the two events, though majority of the players are Karen members this being a Karen Country Club tournament.
Going by the draw, those listed to battle it out in Tuesday’s event include South Africa’s Christiaan Basson currently ranked 11th in the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, Ryan Cains, Merrick Bremner and Peter Karmis, who are regular players in the Kenya Open.
Cains is drawn with amateurs Eden Odhiambo, Sam Mwangi and John Njau at 12noon, while Karmis will be on the 10th tee along with St John Kelliher, Gavin Bell, and Haki Noris.
Basson is drawn with Bob Tarmel, Salma Mazrui and Shan Dan.
Those in action on Wednesday will include current Sunshine Tour Order of Merit leader, Justin Harding, former Kenya Open champion Jake Roos ranked 10th, Alex Haindl, who is in fifth place in money list and Zimbabwean Mark Williams.
Harding will play along with KCB Human Resources director Paul Russo, lady golfer Koki Muia and former Attorney General Githu Muiga.
The four locals, who are drawn in Tuesday’s event are John Wangai, Justus Madoya, David Wakhu and Stefan Andersen, who is also a member of the Sunshine Tour.
Jacob Okello and Nelson Simwa will be among the pros in the second Pro-Am. Teeing off for those drawn in the morning is set for 8.20am, while the afternoon tee off gets under way from 12noon.
Meanwhile, DT Dobie is offering a brand new Volkswagen Tiguan the player who will hole an albatross on the par five- 18th hole. An Albatross is a three under on a par five hole. A difficult, but not impossible feat.
The compact Volkswagen SUV was delivered by Usha Nagpal, the General Manager for Volkswagen, to Koki Muia, the Sponsorship Chair for the KCB Karen Masters, who was accompanied by Simon Njunge, an eight handicap golfer, who will be playing in the pro-am.
The co-sponsorship includes the provision of a Mercedes bus and a Volkswagen transporter to carry
