Top amateurs collide in Kitale

Kenneth Bollo follows the progress of his tee shot from the 12th tee during the Muthaiga District Foursomes Golf tournament on January 7, 2017 at Muthaiga Golf Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Saturday, Muthaiga will host the seventh leg of the on going Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve series.
  • The sixth leg was held at Thika last weekend where James Kamau, playing off handicap 15, carded 21, and 19 for 40 points to claim the first prize well ahead of David Mwangi on 35 points.

The hunt for points in the 2018 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series shift to the North Rift town of Kitale this weekend where the par 73 Kitale Club course hosts the annual Trans Nzoia Open.

However, like last year, the 54-hole event, which also counts towards the World Amateur Ranking, has attracted a small field of 54 players.

This may be because of the distance from Nairobi where a big number of the country’s top amateurs are based.

On the other hand, the event has not had a good sponsorship for some time now, forcing the club to take over the sponsorship mantle. All the same, the battle for points, the trophy and other take-away prizes is definitely on this weekend where in the absence of defending champion Kenneth Bollo, who has turned professional, it will be a fight between Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi, his club-mates Robinson Owiti and Mike Kisia, and  Railway’s Samuel Njoroge.

Others drawn this weekend include Railway’s John Lejirmah, who won the Windsor Classic in March after beating Vet Lab’s Mike Kisia in sudden-death and the Great Rift Valley Resort’s Simon Njogu, who won the Winston Churchill Cup at Thika early this month.

Currently, the course is playing long due to the on going rains meaning the scores are likely to be almost like last year where Bollo won with a total of nine over par 228.

Teeing off for the opening round is set for 8am tomorrow followed soon after by the second round while the third and final round will take place on Sunday.

Back in Nairobi, the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course will today host the inaugural Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry golf tournament which has attracted a field of 200 players.

The event is mainly sponsored by East Africa Breweries. Others include sponsors are Toyota, SportsPesa, Sameer Group, Centum, Crown Paints, Kenya Power, UAP, Savannah Cement, M-tech, Sports Kenya, and Diversey.

Kiprono Kittony, the chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry will preside the prize giving ceremony in the evening where he is expected to explain the chambers' vision.

Some beautiful prizes will be at stake for for those who will conquer the tough playing course.

Saturday, Muthaiga will host the seventh leg of the on going Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve series.

The sixth leg was held at Thika last weekend where James Kamau, playing off handicap 15, carded 21, and 19 for 40 points to claim the first prize well ahead of David Mwangi on 35 points.

TOUGH COURSE

The Muthaiga event has also attracted a huge field of over 250 who will be tackling the tough par 71 course.

In fact, even the home players have been finding the course rather difficult because of the overgrown rough.

Elsewhere, Vet Lab Sports Club will host the Muthoni Muthiga Trophy held in memory of the late legendary lady golfer Muthoni Muthiga who also served as chairman of the Kenya Ladies Golf Union(KLGU) and represented the East Africa region in the All Africa Ladies Golf Council.

At the nine-hole Kiambu Golf Club course, about 100 players were drawn for the Crown Teflon sponsored by Crown Paints.