SOUTH AFRICAN MICHAEL PALMER WINS SECOND EDITION OF KAREN MASTERS
Lawrence Kiambi, KCB Group CFO and Karen Country Club Chairman, helps the winner to fit the blue jacket at the Karen Club on Sunday.
By DANIELLA APIYO
Twenty seven year old South African Michael Palmer is the winner of the 2018 KCB Karen Masters.
The Johannesburg based Bryanston Country Club pro fired an impressive last round of 5 under par 67 for a gross total of 18 under par 270.
Whats more, Palmer savoured his first cut of the season on Friday after a second-round of six-under-par 66 in the second round. “I am very happy. It has been a tough first half of the year and the validation of the persistence is good. The win has motivated me to go for more glory on the Sunshine Tour ,” the winner said.
Palmer said he approach the weekend at the KCB Karen Masters a bit more aggressively than he did the first two rounds to realise his first win.
“I wouldn’t say I was so conservative over the first two rounds, but I definitely played more into the middle of the greens much more aggressively.”
Second overall was Merrick Bremner of South Africa with a gross total of -16 while Pieter Moolman and Tyrone Ryan also from South Africa finished joint third on -15.
Bremner was the day one and three leader and lost the coveted blue jacket to his compatriot Palmer by two shots.
Joint fifth on a score of -13 were Martin Rohwer (RSA) and Daniel van Tonder.
Jake Roos of South Africa who won the Kenyan Open in 2014/at the same.venue shot 12 under.par 276 (68, 70, 68, 70) to finish seventh.
Italian Philip Geerts finished joint eighth with South African Neil Schietekat on 10 under par 278.
Geerts was actually born in Nairobi to an Italian mother and Belgian father. He was born and grew up here in Africa lives in South Africa mainly for golf and has lived there for seven years.
The event played over 72 holes was sponsored by Kenya Commercial Bank.
KCB Marketing and Communication Director Angela Mwirigi highlighted the importance of the event in Kenyan sports circles by saying, “ The KCB Karen Masters remains our most visible vehicle to share the greatness of the sport. The tournament is on course to becoming the pre-eminent professional competition in East Africa
Top 10 final results:
1 Michael Palmer (RSA)-18 (70, 66, 67,67) 270
2 Merrick Bremner (RSA)-16 (65, 69, 68, 70) 272
3= Pieter Moolman (RSA)-15 (68, 68 67, 70) 273
3=Tyrone Ryan (RSA) -15 (68, 70, 65, 70) 273
5= Martin Rohwer (RSA)-13 70 68 69 68 275
5=Daniel van Tonder (RSA)-13 68 65 71 71 275
7. Jake Roos (RSA)-12 (68, 70, 68, 70) 276
8= Neil Schietekat (RSA)-10 (70 ,74, 63, 71) 278
8=Philip Geerts (ITA)-10 (68, 67, 70, 73) 278
10. JC Ritchie (RSA)/-10 (69, 66, 69, 74) 278