SWATTON AND CO BREAK THE DUCK TO BECOME THE FIRST LADIES QUALIFIERS
Fernando Marques prepares to tee off at the sixth leg of the Dasani Golf Gala at the Nyali Golf & Country Club on Saturday.
By JAMES WAINDI
An all ladies team broke the norm to become the first ladies to qualify for this year’s Dasani Golf Gala at the sixth round of the ongoing Gala at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club on Saturday.
The daylong event sponsored by Dasani brought together players from home club Nyali, Mombasa Golf Club and Malindi Golf Club.
Anchored by the club’s lady captain Pia Swatton, the ladies managed a total of 111 points to book an automatic ticket to the Grand Finale slated for Karen Golf and Country Club on September 29 and in the process become the first ladies team to qualify for the finale since the Gala began more than a month ago.
Swatton playing off handicap 26 contributed 39 points, while Perviz Barnsley playing off handicap 32 amassed 37 points and handicap 20 Clive Barnsley had 35 points. Sumali Jayasinghe playing off handicap 35 was the team’s weakest link on 32 points.
On her winners’ speech, Swatton vowed to carry the same form to the finale and urged their male opponents to watch out.
The team of Lyn Nicholls, J. Oluoch, John Riley and M.Lariche settled for the second position on a team score of 110 points. Nicholls playing off handicap 26 contributed 37 points to the team, while Riley playing off 22 posted 37 points and handicap 11 Oluoch had 32 points. The team’s weakest link was M. Larice on 30 points.
Home player Diana Munyao, handicap four Daniel Nduva who was the eventual junior winner, Christine Ockotch and Jane Mburu will be the reserve team from Nyali after they managed a team score of 108 points.
James Kingori playing off handicap 19 was the best individual in the day long tournament on 42 points, while Kellen Weku playing off handicap 21 won the ladies prize on 39 points and A. Kahure was the guest winner on 32 points.
Speaking at the function, Nicholas Maina the Operations Manager Coca Cola Coast region said the grand prize this year will see the winning team of four players travel to Dubai to attend the Grand Finale of the European Tour, the DP World Tour Championships at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. While in Dubai, they will also have the opportunity to see Europe’s top 60 money earners on the 2012 Order of Merit battle it out for a 1.3 million winner’s cheque.
“In addition, they will play at some of the best golf courses in the region, including the Dubai Creek Course and the challenging Faldo Course at the Emirates Golf Club, a course designed by former world number 1 and six-time major Champion Sir Nick Faldo,” said Maina.
Action now moves to South Coast next week where eight more qualifiers would be picked from the seventh leg to be held at the Leisure Lodge Golf Club Club on Saturday. airmaxzapatilla airmaxzapatilla