Kenyan pro qualifies for Zanaco Masters
Anil Shah checks his putting line at the 13th green during the Diani Beach Masters Golf Championship at Leisure Lodge Golf and Beach Resort in Diani on October 20, 2017. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Shah missed this year’s Kenya Open.
- He qualified for the Masters during Monday’s pre-qualifying event at the same venue where he shot four over par 76 to finish in 12th place out of the field of 80 golfers.
Kenyan professional golfer Anil Shah will be on the starting list of this year’s Zanaco Masters, a Sunshine Tour event, whose first round is for Thursday at the now par 72 Lusaka Golf Club course in Lusaka, Zambia.
Shah, who missed this year’s Kenya Open, qualified for the Masters during Monday’s pre-qualifying event at the same venue where he shot four over par 76 to finish in 12th place out of the field of 80 golfers.
A former member of the Sunshine Tour, Shah, started the round at the back nine where he birdied the downhill par five-10th. He bogeyed the 13th and 14th but recovered a shot at the 18th to level the nine.
“It was tough as they changed the course from par 73 to par 72 with the par five-13th having been made a par four. But i made five pars at the front nine to finish just at the borderline. I am happy to return to the Sunshine Tour’’ said Shah after his round.
He said Sunshine Tour was the only way forward for Kenyan players if they would like to play well in such events like the Kenya Open. “Here the competition is stiff, you can imagine a field of 80 seeking 13 slots, but I believe many Kenyan pros can make it," added Shah, who will join South Africa-based Kenyan pro Stefan Andersen.
He will fly to Harare for Zimbabwe Open from April 19, before returning to Mopani Redpath Zambia Open at Nkana Golf Club in Kitwe.
On the other, the second edition of the KCB Karen Masters has finally been listed in the Sunshine Tour.
It will take place at Karen Country Club from July 19. The total prize fund will be $150,000 (about Sh15 million).
Meanwhile, during the sixth edition of the Marvel Girl national lady caddies championship, Sigona’s Mary Gathoni beat a field of 80 girls drawn from all over the country, to claim the overall title.
Gathoni carded 84 gross to win by five shots from club-mate Lucy Wanjiru. Defending champion Salome Wanjiru of Limuru finished third with gross 90.
In the nett section, Ruiru Sports Club’s Anne Wairimu shot an impressive nett 65 to win by a shot from Susan Kanyi of Royal while C. Faith all the way from Kitale was third on nett 68.
This year, the event attracted 60 men caddie golfers led by Limuru’s Simon Karari, who carded 81 gross, while the nett winner was another Limuru player D. Gitonga with nett 71.
The men's guest winner was Vet Lab’s P. Ehkai on 73 gross and the nett winner was G. Kariuki of Karen on 69 nett.
