Golfers to battle for titles in inaugural Njoro tourney

Naomi Wafula follows the flight of her shot from the 18th tee during Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship on August 6, 2014 at Muthaiga Golf Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Like Njoro, golfers at Ruiru are expected to plant more than 1,000 tree seedlings on the course though an initiative supported by AAR Healthcare.
  • In Eldoret, 108 lady golfers, including 21 from Uganda, will battle it out in the Ladies Open.

A field of 100 golfers will this weekend tee off at Njoro Country Club in a golf tournament aimed at promoting tree planting.

The tournament, sponsored by local engineering consultancy firm APEC Consortium, will be an annual event at the club, which is known for its tree planting initiatives.

“APEC would like to be a front runner in the national reforestation initiative launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 12. We understand that forest cover is crucial in the management of the environment, and necessary to reduce the global effects of climate change’,’ APEC managing director Joel Mwangi said of Saturday’s tournament.

He said by sponsoring the tournament dubbed ‘reforestation starts with you’ at Njoro he hopes to help increase tree cover and to boost the local economy of Njoro through purchasing of seedlings from local youth groups.

Many organisations, among them Nation Media Group, have sponsored tree-planting initiatives at the nine-hole Njoro Country Club course.

A field of 100 golfers was  drawn for the event, where an array of prizes will be at stake. Each player  drawn will plant a number of trees during the day.

Elsewhere, Thika Sports Club will Friday host a fundraiser tournament in aid of a club member Samuel Mwaura Ndung’u who was diagnosed with cancer in March.

Ndung’u is hospitalised at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, where he has accrued a medical bill of Sh5 million. Entry fee is Sh2,500 per player, and the family has appealed for well-wishers to help through Paybill number 546655, Account number 2543.

Meanwhile, fresh from last weekend’s KCB’s “Road to the KCB Karen Masters Pro-Am event where a huge field of 272 players played, the par 72 Ruiru Sports Club course will be the venue this weekend of the annual Samuel Njinu tournament. At least 200 golfers are expected to compete.

Like Njoro, golfers at Ruiru are expected to plant more than 1,000 tree seedlings on the course though an initiative supported by AAR Healthcare.

In Eldoret, 108 lady golfers, including 21 from Uganda, will battle it out in the Ladies Open.

Among leading players drawn include former ladies champion Naomi Wafula who is making a come back after a one year break.

Other top players drawn are Mercy Nyanchama, Agnes Nyakio, Naomi Wakesho, Esther Karuga and Joyce Wanjiru. Leading the challenge from Uganda will be the handicap two Irene Nakalembe.