KAREN MASTERS: NJOROGE, NDUVA AT IT AS WAHOME MAKES COMEBACK
Daniel Nduva
By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
Reigning Kenya Amateur Golf Champion Samuel Njoroge will lead a four-man Kenya amateur team to the 2019 KCB Karen Masters which tees off at the Par 72 Karen Country Club on Wednesday.
Also in the mix is Nyali’s star player Daniel Nduva who won last weekend’s 56-hole Corronation Trophy in Nakuru. Nduva is the immediate former Kenya Amateur matchplay champion and one of the most consistent amateur golfers at the present.
Two-times Coast Open Champion Mathew Wahome, also from Nyali is the sole junior player in the team. Wahome, son of Junior Golf Foundation Coast Representatve Alice Wahome has been known to be calm off the course, but on it he’s a talisman.
He is making a comeback to the big stage after winnng the recemt Trans Nzoia Championship, a round of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC-formerly GOTY).
Njoroge and Nduva missed the cut in the 2019 Magical Kenya Open and will be hoping to make amends in the Sunshine Tour event.
“We have been practising at Karen over the past few days in order to familiarise with the course conditions. I’m glad that the few practice rounds we hav had are coming through really well. My aim is to make the cut and finish in the top 20 position, ” said Njoroge who won the 57th FirstBank Lagos Amateur Golf Open last year at Ikoyi Club in his first visit to the West African country.
Njoroge was crowned the champion of the KAGC, formerly Goty, after winning last year’s Nyali Open. He will also be joined by Simon Njogu of Great Rift Valley Resort. Njoguis incidentally the reigning 2019 Muthaiga Open champion.
Njoroge, who turns out for Railway Club, has been posting good results since winning Mt Kenya Golf Championship, which was the first event in the 2019 KAGC Series. He also won the Railway Invitational, his home round of the national series.
Notable absetee in the team is Muthaiga junior Mutahi Kibugu who was among the two juniors in the Kenya Open team who later playing for Muthaiga at this year’s Tannahill Shield. The four Kenyan amateurs are all single handicapped players selected through Kenya Golf Union ranks.
The amateurs will join the 30 local professional players named recently to represent the country in the prestigious Sunshine Tour event.
Twenty five professionals qualified from the PGK Order of Merit following the conclusion of the four leg KCB Road To The Masters.
Five others made it by virtue of making the cut at the Kenya Open 2019 and last year’s Karen Master’s. They are Simon Ngige and Justus Madoya in this year’s Kenya Open and Dismas Indiza, Riz Charania and Mohit Mediratta in the Karen Masters.
Meanwhile, foreiners mainly from down south and various parts of Africa are in the country well in time for Karen Masters.
Uganda will field there players including Philip Kasozi who qualified for the 2019 Kenya Open through the Safari Tour series. In town also is last year’s runner up Merrick Bremner who is being sponsored by Betway. KCB has invited partners including Standard Group, Johnnie Walker, Coca Cola, DT Dobie to enhance the experience at the event for the thousands of golf fans expected to grace the event.
Entry at the event will be Kshs 1500 for a season ticket and 500
TEAM KENYA:
-AMATEURS:
Samuel Njoroge -RAILWAYS
Daniel Nduva -NYALI GCC
Mathew Wahome -NYALI GCC
Simon NJOGU-GREAT RIFT
-PROFESSIONALS:
Exemptions from Road To Masters qualifiers
Simon Ngige , Dismas Indiza, Rizwan Charania , Mohit Mediratta and Justus Madoya .
PGK Order of Merit:
CJ Wangai, Greg Snow, Alfred Nandwa, David Wakhu, Erick Ooko Obura, Nelson Mudanyi, Jeff Kubwa, Njuguna Ngugi , David Odhiambo, Tony Omuli , Sujan Shah , David Opati , Hesbon Kutwa , Ganeev Giddie , Dennis Saikwa Ken Abuto , Richard Ainley, Frank Matilo , Jacob Okello , Edwin Mudanyi , Kenneth Bollo, Joseph W Karanja, Sullivan Muthugia, Boniface Simwa , Kopan Timbe,
Pro Reserves:
Kevin Mabele
JM Karanja
Charan Thethy
Anil Shah