Golfers tee off in first Pro-Am at Muthaiga Club

What you need to know:

  • A field of 128 players half of them being professionals will be in action in Tuesday’s Pro-Am which offers an opportunity for the local amateurs to play along with the visiting and local professionals.
  • Its a good chance also for the pros special those who arrived late, to test the course in a competitive atmosphere.
  • It also a chance to make some few Euros as they prepare for the big event, the Kenya Open which marks its 50th years this time round and which for the first time, it has topped the list of the European Challenge Tour series in terns of prize money.

The 2018 Barclays Kenya Open week tees off with the first of the two Pro-Am events at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course which faces a big test after the heavy rains in Nairobi which saw the course waterlogged during the PGK Masters.

It is however most gratifying to note that the management at Muthaiga has worked tirelessly to make sure that it presents a course which is playable.

A field of 128 players half of them being professionals will be in action in Tuesday’s Pro-Am which offers an opportunity for the local amateurs to play along with the visiting and local professionals.

Its a good chance also for the pros special those who arrived late, to test the course in a competitive atmosphere.

It also a chance to make some few Euros as they prepare for the big event, the Kenya Open which marks its 50th years this time round and which for the first time, it has topped the list of the European Challenge Tour series in terns of prize money.

A total of Euro 500,000 (about Sh62.5 million) will be at stake this year where the winner will take home 80,000 Euros (about Sh10 million).

The winner will have set up a big foundation in the hunt for a European Tour card, particularly if he makes some good progress in the subsequent events. However only six locals are drawn in today’s Pro-Am.

These are Stefan Andersen and Jeff Kubwa who are both Muthaiga members, PGK Masters champion David Odhiambo of Nyanza, Sigona’s Mohit Mediratta, Alfred Nandwa of Railway and Golf Park’s David Wakhu.

Also drawn are Ugandan pro Fred Wanzalla, and Rwanda’s Ernest Ndayinsenga. From the international pros, in action will be Frenchman Romain Langasque who three years ago finished second in the Open at Karen then an amateur.

He will be in the team of Kenya Open chairman Peter Kanyago with another pro Antoine Rozner who will partner one of Kenya’s top business executive Ben Wairegi.

Italian Alessandro Tadini, a regular in the Challenge Tour and the Open, is drawn with Kenya Golf Union chairman Richard Wanjalla while the other pair will feature Francesco Larpota and Kul Bhakoo.

Teeing off in Tuesday’s Pro-Am is set for 11.00am on both first and 10th tee with local pro David Wakhu to be on the tee first on tee number one while Fred Wanzalla will lead on on the 10th tee.

The second Pro-Am will take place Wednesday at the same venue.