JUNIOR, CHERONO, WINS ROYAL LEG OF NCBA GOLF SERIES
By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
Eleven-year-old junior golfer, Cherono Kipkorir, carded an excellent round of 42 points during the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg of the NCBA Golf Series on Saturday to emerge as the event’s overall winner.
Cherono becomes the third junior golfer to claim the overall winner’s position in the Series following similar feats by twelve-year-old Nathan Mwangi, who won the Karen Country Club leg; and eleven-year-old Mumbi Gatu, who was crowned event winner in Limuru in September.
Cherono’s heroics were enough to fend off, on countback, the challenge by fellow club mate, Mwambu Malamba, who carded a round of 42 points to claim the winner’s spot in the men’s category. He finished ahead of Calvin Opati, another junior golfer who impressed on the day by carding a round of 40 points to take the runner-up spot.
In the ladies’ contest, Kathure Njoroge carded an impressive round of 41 points to claim the top bragging rights in the category ahead of Pascalia Koske who ended the round with 39 points to claim the runner-up position in the category.
Among the NCBA Group staff, Paul Jakaa shot a round of 35 points to win the category, while Brian Githaiga, with 34 points, was crowned the winner in the juniors’ category.
In the Nines, Joram Abuodha and Bernard Milewa both carded 23 points to claim bragging rights in the first and second nine respectively. In the longest drive contest, Simon Manambo was best of the rest among the men players, while Njeri Onyango hit it furthest among the lady players.
In the nearest-to-the-pin contest, Shadrak Ogindo was crowned the winner in the men’s category as Rebecca Likami won it among the ladies. Suresh Lakhani was awarded the best effort award with 17 points. Meanwhile, the tournament recorded a hole-in-one as handicap 16 Oscar Koitaba aced his shot at the 13th hole to record a rare feat at the tournament.
The Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg was the 19th event held in the Series – which has featured 18 seniors’ events and one junior golf tournament. 200 golfers took to the par-72 golf course, taking to 2,356 the total number of golfers who have now taken part in the event since its inception in January this year.
The top five finishers from the event – being the overall winner, the men winner and runner-up as well as the lady winner and runner-up – qualified to play in the Series grand finale which shall be held at the Karen Country Club in December this year. This now takes the total number of golfers who have qualified to play at the finale to 90.
Action now shifts to the Muthaiga Golf Club for the 20th leg of the Series this coming Saturday.