Madoya’s team wins Safari Tour Pro-am at Royal
What you need to know:
- Meanwhile, the Thika Greens Golf Resort is hosting the East Africa Caddies Golf Tournament today from 8am. The event which was expected to bring together players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will now be a battle between Kenya and Uganda.
- Event coordinator Peter Mbatia said Tanzanian players could not travel as they playing in the Arusha Open. Being hosted by the Kenyan national caddies association, the event dubbed the “Water and Sanitation Champions Caddies golf tournament”.
The team of Naivasha-based professional Justus Madoya, and Royal amateurs Maurice Monni, Abner Onsomu and Joshua Ichangi carded an impressive score of 86 points to claim the Safari Tour Pro-Am event sponsored by Magical Kenya and Absa at the par 72 Royal Nairobi Golf Club course on Saturday.
The winning team triumphed by four points from the Ken Abuto-led Benson Wangalwa, John Odhiambo, and S. Oballa who carded 82 points, with Kenyn Bollo’s team of Milan Shah, K. Patel and S. Patel finishing third on 80 points.
Taking the nines were Abner Onsomu and Quram Vhatt on 22 points each, while in the individual members category, Maurice Monni birdied the fourth in the first nine and the 15th at the back nine in addition to eight pars, for an impressive 43 points.
“The secret of winning or playing good golf, is honesty and always staying on the fairway, pick the right club to make sure that you are on regulation,’’ said Monni, who donated his prize to his teammate Joshua Ichangi.
“I admire Josh’s perfect game and his honesty and it was funny playing with him,’’ said Monni who combined 21 and 22 to beat men winner Samuel Nyaoke (25, 18) on countback.
“The course is in great condition at the moment, and fairly easy for one to bring some good scores if one stays on the fairways, though it is playing long at the moment because of the ongoing rains,’’ said pro Justus Madoya from the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha.
Finishing second in the men’s section was Geoffrey Korir on 40 points after beating Victor Kidiwa and fourth placed George Makori who beat Abner Onsomu on countback for the fourth prize.
Daniel Mwamati claimed the senior’s prize on 35 and Martha Mbote also on 35 points was the ladies winner following a countback with Mary Cox.
The Pro-Am event was a curtain-raiser for the third leg of the 2019/2020 Safari Tour whose first round was on at the long playing par 72 Royal Nairobi Golf Club course at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, the Thika Greens Golf Resort is hosting the East Africa Caddies Golf Tournament today from 8am. The event which was expected to bring together players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will now be a battle between Kenya and Uganda.
Event coordinator Peter Mbatia said Tanzanian players could not travel as they playing in the Arusha Open. Being hosted by the Kenyan national caddies association, the event dubbed the “Water and Sanitation Champions Caddies golf tournament”.
