Big field for KPA golf tourney

Fresh from the Eid ul Adha golf tournament where handicap 10 golfer Julius Mutethia clinched the overall title with a brilliant score of 40 points, the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club will on Friday host the Kenya Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Corporate golf tournament.

The 18-hole stableford event, which has attracted a large field of 192 players including guests and staff of KPA, is one of the three tournaments the company usually hosts in it's calendar year for its customers and stakeholders.

This year, the first event was held at the popular Machakos Golf Club course, where over 100 players drawn from as far as Nyali and Mombasa in addition to various clubs in Nairobi, participated.

Like the Machakos event, KPA’s top management led by acting Managing Director Dr Daniel Manduku and other board members as well as senior managers, network with customers and stakeholders on maritime issues towards improved service delivery.

As usual, KPA is offering some fabulous prize to the club members, guests and the growing list of KPA.

Leading the club members in hunt of the top prize will be Julius Mutethia.who if still in last weekend’s form, will definitely be among the players to watch.

Others include Selest Kilinda, David Ngugi, Alex Gitari, Anthony Irungu, Mwai Mbuthia among others. All those players scored 36 points and above last weekend.

The guests drawn include Mohamed Nyaoga and his four ball of Ray Nyamweya, Paul Odhiambo and Charles Maranga. Others include Kenya Golf Union Secretary Ben Omuodo, Paul Maiyo and Julius Longei.

In the staff section, some of the players going for the top prize will include the husband and wife pair of Charles and Terry Odoo, both of Nyali Golf and Country Club, Japheth Obonyo and Fiona Mbandi of Mombasa Golf Club.

However, missing in action due to other corporate engagement, will be Yobesh Oyaro, who has won a number of staff prizes before.

Meanwhile, leading Communications and Marketing firm Oxygene MCL and Tropikal Brands Africa have teamed up to sponsor a golf tournament at the popular Ruiru Sports Club course, where a big field of 184 players were drawn to battle it out for some of the prizes being offered.

This is the second time the two firms are sponsoring an event at Ruiru and club captain Peter Mwaura expressed his gratitude to the two firms.

“The club and its entire membership is all set for the event with most if not all the members having listed their names to play, a show of the club’s growing and strong partnership with the two brands," said Mwaura.

Oxygene is an independent integrated communications agency serving clients in both public and private sectors across East Africa, while Tropikal on its part, is a leading manufacturer of house hold personal care, food and baby products.

Oxygene’s partner Mutahi Murethi said: “We are passionate about growing the game of golf and sports in general in the country. We see this as a way of engaging with our customers and potential ones."

Some of the club members expected to play well due to their recent form, are players such as Kairu Mwaura, Patrick Mitii, Munyua Kimani, and lady golfers Catherine Wambui and Beatrice Waweru.

In the ladies' national calendar, the country’s leading lady golfers will be at Limuru Country Club on Saturday and Sunday for the Kenya Ladies Open Amateur Match Play Championship being sponsored by PKF Kenya.

Most of the leading lady golfers including those who returned this week from Accra, Ghana where they represented the country in the All Africa Challenge Trophy golf championship, are expected to feature.

These are Serah Khanyereri from Royal Nairobi, who is actually the defending champion and Kiambu’s Joyce Wanjiru.

During last year’s tournament, Khanyereri beat Eldoret’s Esther Chumo in the final match to claim the title.

Wanjiru, who along with Khanyereri represented the country in last week’s All Africa Challenge in Ghana, is draw to play N. Muhire in the first round, while another Limuru player Mwongeli Nzioka faces Karen’s Louisa Gitau and Muthaiga’s Christina Andersen will be up against Nakuru’s Esther Karuga.

At the par 72 Thika Sports Club course currently in its best ever condition, it will be the turn of the annual Engineers golf tournament.

Action also continues at Kiambu Golf Club, which will this weekend host the Unga Farm Care, while Machakos will be the venue for the the 2018 Chairman’s Prize (JM Kitulu), an event being sponsored by NIC Bank.

Down at the Coast, action will be the Links Mombasa Golf Club course, which will host the Kenya Navy Commanders Cup being sponsored by the KDF Golfing Society.

Back in Nairobi, Vet Lab Sports Club, which hosted the second leg of the Safari Tour, will on Sunday play host to the Co-op Bank tournament, which has attracted over 200 players.