Johnnie Walker sponsor special tournament at Karen

Karen Country Club members and a few guests will this weekend, have the opportunity of testing the par 72 course in its current best condition, thanks to the kind courtesy of Kenya Breweries who decided to come in at the last minute to fill the gap created by the postponement of the 2020 Magical Kenya Open due to the deadly coronavirus.

Kenya Breweries Limited is sponsoring the event through its premium spirits brand, Johnnie Walker which has been sponsoring the Johnnie Walker Golf series over the past couple of years.

KBL Managing Director Jane Karuku said the tournament is a celebration of the brand’s involvement with the sport of golf, which includes the 2019/20 Johnnie Walker Golf series whose grand finale was staged last weekend at Vet Lab Sports Club after touring Royal Nairobi, Windsor, Karen, Thika, Muthaiga, Sigona, Limuru and Nakuru Golf Clubs.

In addition to the Johnnie Walker Golf Series, the brand is also involved in the sponsorship of the 2019/20 Safari Tour golf series, alongside Kenya’s top professional golfers, Greg Snow and Dismas Indiza.

“Johnnie Walker has always been a huge supporter of golf in the country. From the recently concluded Johnnie Walker Golf series, to the Safari Tour and our sponsorship of both Greg Snow and Dismas Indiza. This weekend’s golf day is a celebration of our golf engagements throughout the season, it also gives us an opportunity to interact with the golf players and fans,’’ said Karuku.

“The players will get an opportunity to play at a championship course while the fans will enjoy great entertainment and hospitality, courtesy of Johnnie Walker. I want to welcome everyone to the Karen Country Club, for a truly memorable experience,” she added.

At the time of writing over 200 players had listed their names to play though the final draw was expected be released later. Among those who had been listed include Kenya Open Golf Limited chairman Peter Kanyago, Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Anthony Murage, the KBL boss Jane Karuku, and the winner of the series Ian Njoroge along with others who featured in the Vet Lab prize list Nelson Check, John Odhiambo and Caleb Kositany.

At the nine-hole Kiambu Golf Club course, club members who reside on Kiambu road and the Kanunga areas, have come together to sponsors the “Boma Road” golf tournament which follows last weekend’s Surveyors Golf Day where a handicap 26 golfer Stephen Muhinja beat a field of 80 golfers, to claim the men’s title with a score of 70 nett.

Drawn for the weekend event includes some of the club’s leading amateurs such as Michael Karanga, Stephen Kiaro, Mike Ngene and leading lady golfer Joyce Wanjiru. Elsewhere, action continues at the popular Ruiru Sports Club where the par 72 course hosts the February Monthly Mug which comes back-to-back after the Lady Captain’s Prize where Angelus Maina was in his best form as he carded an impressive 42 points to beat Jessy Ndegwa by four points.

Another Monthly Mug will be at Sigona Golf Club where a field of 150 players were drawn to battle it out for a number of prizes in the various divisions. But those going for the top division include the youngster Adam Tayebjee who last weekend lost the Sigona Bowl, a Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series event, beaten in a three-hole play- off by Muthaiga’s Mutahi Kibugu.

Tayebjee, a grandson of a former Cricket writer Zoeb Tayebjee, is among the club’s leading amateurs who have been practicing in preparation for the 2020 Tannahill Shield at Royal Nairobi next month.

Though the team is yet to be official announced, the 17-yeaold Adam a new star in the making is likely to play along with his father Hanif Tayebjee, a former number one Squash seed for six years, who also played division one cricket for the Aga Khan Sports Club in the mid 1990s before switching to golf.