KCB ROAD TO THE MASTERS OPENER HEADS TO SIGONA GOLF CLUB
KCB Group HR Director Paul Russo in a past KCB Road to the Masters series.
By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
Anan Chandaria, Jimmy Merali and 15 year-old handicap 4 junior Adam Tayebjee are among the 220 amateur golfers lined up for the first round of the KCB Road To The Masters series which tees off at the Par 72 Sigona Golf Club course on Saturday February 23.
Tayebjee is one of the promising talents from Sigona’s production line having completed a three-round total of 227 gross to claim the Windsor Junior Strokeplay Championship at par-72 Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club course last year.
The Road To The Masters opener has attracted a sizable chunk of single handicapped golfers including Ronak Malde, currently playing off handicap 5. Malde will grace the event which marks the start of the five-leg journey in the run to the third edition of KCB Karen Masters which will celebrate its second straight year as a Sunshine Tour sanctioned event.
Also in Sigona mix is Lady Captain Isabella De Souza who will be among those fighting for the ladies’ top prize and a qualifying slot at stake.
Sigona round will not feature professionals who will be engaged in the Windsor round of the Safari Tour golf series.
Sigona event will ascertain the first batch of six qualifiers to the Karen Masters Pro-Am which will curtain raise the Sunshine Tour event. The six qualifiers in each club will be the Men Winner, Lady Winner, Guest Winner, Staff Winner, Junior Winner and a Wild Card slot to be determined at the Club’s discretion.
Sigona resident Professional CJ Wangai who is also the Captain of Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) said the course condition is in splendid emerald state.
“The fairways are looking quite nice and greens really firm and fast, thanks to our automated irrigation system which has rendered them lush green. The Road to the Masters comes a week before Sigona Bowl which is traditionally held when the course is at its best,” said Wangai.
Among the staff golfers lined up for the Sigona showdown are KCB Group Human Resource Director Paul Russo, the Group’s Chief Finance Officer Lawrence Kimathi, Finance Director Samuel Munyua and Corporate Communications Manager Peter Mwaura who incidentally is the Golf captain at Ruiru Sports Club. Mwaura was one of the golfers who qualified for last year’s Karen Masters after winning the Limuru staff prize.
KCB Marketing Director Angela Mwirigi said: “We appreciate the confidence the golfing fraternity has on our brand and we certainly see this as a long term partnership with mutual benefits both for the golfers in the region but for the Bank as well in terms of extending its reach across the country.”
The Prize money for the pros will be split into 60/40 for each leg. The 60% will be prize money for the top 15 pro finishers and 40% will be set aside as a bonus amount for those who meet the set scores for the different courses.