CADDIES ARE FREE TO PLAY LIMURU OPEN AND ANY OTHER KGU EVENTS, DECLARE UNION EXECUTIVES
Part of action during an international event held at the Limuru Country Club last year. The course will host the annual Limuru Open on July 2 and 3.
By FIDEL ONO
Caddies are eligible to participate at the prestigious Limuru Open competition set to be held at the par 72 Limuru Country Club course between July 2 and 3.
This has been clarified today by Kenya Golf Union (KGU) executives Vincent Wangombe and Ndiga Kithae who said their was some misunderstanding in the article published in the www.kenyagolfguide.co.ke website and that the union would not bar anyone from the sport. Kenya golf guide website had reported that caddies had been barred from the 54-hole competition which is part of the Golf Of The Year (GOTY) series, owing to the tournament rules that required all participants to have an handicap below 12.
“The article on Kenya Golf Guide erroneously states that caddies are barred from Limuru Open, but that is not a fact, because every competition committee is allowed or expected to set out the conditions of play and also who is eligible to participate in a golf competition,” said Wangombe.
He added: “The only people who are shut out of the Limuru Open are the golfers who don’t have valid handicaps and those who are playing off handicaps higher than 12. Any other eligible golfer is free to enter. Caddies too are welcome as long as they have valid handicaps and produce handicap certificates.”
Wangombe said the competition committee for the Limuru Open had set handicap 12 as the limit for entering the competition as it has been the tradition of the competition and many other competitions which form part of the GOTY series to ensure that the standards of the competition are high and as a way of capping the number of entrants.
“ At the Amateur Championship the handicap limit was 9 but when 74 entries were received, the committee brought this down to 6,” said Wangombe.
He also said in ensuring the standards of the competition was high, the competition committee always keep away players whose handicaps are higher than the set limit.
“ The Kenya Golf Union also adopted the CONGU system of handicapping in 2008 and under this system, golfers are required to produce handicap certificates upon request in any other club. All golf clubs in Kenya have the system and they can easily print out the handicap certificates for their golfers,” Wangombe told Kenya Golf Guide.
He added: “A number of clubs use the CONGU system to handicap caddies. This is the case in Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Railways Golf Club, Muthaiga Golf Club, Limuru Country Club and many other clubs. All caddies in these clubs who meet the handicap criteria will be eligible to enter the competition. Indeed, several caddies from Limuru have won the net prizes (Brakenhurst Cup) in the past.”
The Union executives said Golf Talent Foundation had formed a virtual club to handicap caddies countrywide and informed club captains about the system and all the caddies in the country have a channel of getting official handicaps.
“GTF will even go further and develop programs for helping talented golfers in their program. Requiring golfers to present handicap certificates is nothing new,” he said.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE CONGU:
- The Kenya Golf Union adopted the CONGU system of handicapping in 2008 and under this system, golfers are required to produce handicap certificates upon request in any other club. All golf clubs in Kenya have the system and they can easily print out the handicap certificates for their golfers
- A number of clubs use the CONGU system to handicap caddies. This is the case in Royal, Railways, Muthaiga, Limuru and many other clubs. All caddies in these clubs who meet the handicap criteria will be eligible to enter the competition. Indeed, several caddies from Limuru have won the net prizes (Brakenhurst Cup) in the past.
- Golf Talent Foundation have formed a virtual club to handicap caddies countrywide. They informed Captains about this system and all the caddies in the country have a channel of getting official handicaps. GTF will even Go further and develop programs for helping talented golfers in their program.