NYALI PLAYS HOST TO PENULTIMATE QUALIFIER OF KCB ROAD TO THE MASTERS
KCB Group HR Director, Paul Russo (left) and Karen Country Club Chairman, Lawrence Kiambi.
By DANIELLA APIYO
The KCB Road To The Masters series heads down to the Nyali Golf and Country Club at Mombasa’s mainland north for the fourth and penultimate leg of the series which brings together over 150 coast golfers and guest players on Saturday, June 30 2018.
The event will be used as a yardstick to ascertain the penultimate six qualifiers of the forthcoming KCB Karen Masters which makes its debut on the prestigious Sunshine Tour next month on its second edition.
Among the players expected to gun for the six coast slots include Gurbux Singh who is the KGU Coast representative, fast -rising Zafir Din.
The Road To The Masters has attracted quite a good turn out with home golfers tussling for Pro-am slots up for grabs.
Christopher Kiai won the opening round of the KCB Road To The Masters at Ruiru Sports Club to lead the first batch of six to Karen Masters pro-am qualification.
His namesake Christopher Young emerged the winner of the second round of at Limuru Country Club.
Japheth Kiprono ,playing off handicap 20, was the victor at Eldoret Club to lead six other qualifiers from North Rift region to the Karen Masters pro-am. Kipeono fired 39 stableford points and had his campaign effective sewn up in a nwck and neck tussle after beating men’s winner Kamar Manek on count-back.
Nairobi players have a chance of seeking Karen Masters slots during the last month of the series early next month.
The 5 qualifying events have no doubt brought good tidings to local amateur golfers with the overall winner, men winner, lady winner, staff winner , the wildcard winner and guest winner from each club booking an automatic qualification ticket to the Masters.
The wild card ticket is being given to any of the following categories; best first nine, best second nine, nearest to the pin men and lady, junior golfer, longest drive lady and men, at the discretion of clubs.
The first batch of the six KCB Karen Masters Pro-am qualifiers from the opening leg in Ruiru were Christopher Kiai (overall winner), Michael Chege (men winner), Veronica Mwaura (lady winner),George Felix (guest winner), Bernard Kotonya (sponsor winner),and nearest to the pin men winner Ben Njuguna.
KCB Bank recently launched the second edition of the Karen Masters at the Karen Country Club.
The Karen Masters is now a fully sanctioned Sunshine Tour event with a colossal prize money Kshs. 15 million courtesy of KCB Bank.
The Karen Masters will be held at the par 72 Karen Country Club in July with 152 local and international pros and four top amateurs battling it out for the coveted Blue Jacket won by Dutchman Wil Besseling.
Besseling fired his second back-to-back six under par 66 for a total of 12 under par, to clinch the inaugural KCB Karen Masters at the par 72 Karen Country Club course last year.
The Karen Masters field will include 100 top Sunshine Tour golfers, 32 local pros and 20 regional pros.
The backing by the South Africa based Sunshine Tour and the allure of playing at such a world class event is fundamental for the growth of golf in the African Continent.
“This is a great avenue for more golfers to play at our prestigious tournament. We are redefining the golfing experience as we engage with golfers across Kenya,” KCB Group HR Director Paul Russo said during the official launch adding: “The event is imperative for the development of golf in Kenya and the move will resonate at many levels with our agenda to grow sports in East Africa as one of the biggest sponsors across disciplines.”
The Bank has set aside Kshs.12 million in the sponsorship while Karen Country Club has also reached out to other sponsors to support the event.
This year’s showdown presents four days of pros competition, two days of pro-am tournament and a junior golf clinic, KCB said. KCB Karen Masters Tournament Director Andy Watt said: “We have been working round the clock to meet the deadlines and I am happy to present a great course and facilities for the 2018 KCB Karen Masters”.
There will be a cut on Friday 20th July that will see 152 golfers reduced to 70 leading golfers who will compete for top honors on Saturday and Sunday.
The event is a culmination of the KCB Road to the Masters, a KCB-sponsored five-leg series that is expected to generate 30 amateur (six from five clu s) to play at the Pro-am. The Road To The Masters series started in Ruiru on May 12 then went to Limuru Country Club on May 26, Eldoret Golf Club on June 16, Nyali this weekend and ends at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club on July 7.