Top East Africa amateurs battle at Muthaiga

Nelson Mudanyi of Muthaiga Golf Club reacts during the fourth leg of the Kenya Open Qualifiers on February 19, 2018 at Royal Nairobi Golf Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Some of the amateur golfers are also using the event to prepare for the 50th edition of the Barclays Kenya Open slated for March 22-25 at the same venue.
  • Ranked 30th in Africa, Rugumayo is also a member of Uganda’s national team and one of the six amateurs who will be battling it out for the Barclays Kenya Open amateur title.

East Africa’s leading amateur golfers converge on the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course this weekend for the 2018 Muthaiga Open golf championship.

It is the first time the 54-hole event, which is the third leg of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series, has attracted a galaxy of stars from the East Africa region.

This is because some of the amateur golfers are also using the event to prepare for the 50th edition of the Barclays Kenya Open slated for March 22-25 at the same venue.

Uganda, whose players always give the Kenyan golfers a stiff challenge, will be represented by a team of five players led by the Tusker Malt Uganda Open Amateur champion Ronald Rugumayo of Toro Golf Club.

FINISHED THIRD

He was last in Kenya in October last year for the 72 hole Kenya Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship at Nyali Golf and Country Club Mombasa where he tied for third place with Royal Nairobi’s Dennis Saikwa after rounds of 76, 74, 74, and 77.

Ranked 30th in Africa, Rugumayo is also a member of Uganda’s national team and one of the six amateurs who will be battling it out for the Barclays Kenya Open amateur title.

Flying the Tanzanian flag will be Dar es Salaam Gymkhana’s Victor Joseph who finished second in the Kenya Open amateur strokeplay championship, losing to home player Daniel Nduva by four shots.

LOST AGAIN

Joseph came back at Nyali in December for the Nyali Open where he was again beaten by Nduva by five shots. He has been playing along with Kenya’s professionals in their Kenya Open qualifying events as he prepares for the Open.

Being at home and most probably more familiar with the Muthaiga course, the local amateurs led by top amateur golfer in 2017 Edwin Mudanyi of Vet Lab start as the hot favourite for the Muthaiga Open title.

Other Kenyan amateurs also eyeing the title this weekend will be John Karichu of Limuru, home players Anthony Irungu, John Gitonga and veteran Evans Vitisia as well as Vet Lab’s Mike Kisia and Jay Sandhu of Royal.

The 54-hole event, which has attracted a field of 96, starts at 7am tomorrow with the first round which will be followed by the second round in the afternoon. The third and final round, whose draw will be seeded, will take place on Sunday morning.

ACTION IN KISUMU

Meanwhile, the Barclays Amateur Golf Tour moves to Kisumu this weekend for the fourth leg at the Nyanza Golf Club course where a field of 115 players drawn from Nyanza, Kisii, Kakamega, Kericho and Nakuru were drawn to tackle the Nyanza course which is likely to little bit dry at the moment.

That condition will certainly favour the locals who include David Sate, Noah Winja, Joseph Atito, Raju Bhayani, Jiten Pabari, Paul Otieno and lady golfer Rosemany Obara among others.

The six-events series launched last September in Eldoret, has so far visited Karen and Nakuru and will be heading to Nyali for the Pwani Open on March 3 after the Nyanza event. The sixth and final leg will be the Mount Kenya Open at Thika Sports Club on March 10.

RETURN TICKET AT STAKE

Down at the coast at the century old Mombasa Golf Club, a Mombasa/London return ticket will be at stake during the Chairman’s Prize (Elijah Ibua) Prize being sponsored by a number of sponsors led by RwandaAir which donated the ticket.

Ibua says a lot will be at stake besides the fabulous prizes being offered in the event which has however attracted a small field though post entries are still being accepted.

At Limuru, a huge field will battle it out in the Ponyea India golf tournament being sponsored by Ponyea India, an organisation which has assisted many Kenyans to travel to India for specialised medical treatment.