KTB CEO Dr. Betty Radier (2nd right) hands over a sponsorship cheque to the KOGL chairman Mr. Peter Kanyago (Left) looking on are KOGL director Kathleen Kihanya (2nd left) and KTB PR Manager Wausi Walya.

By DAMARIS AMANDA

Organisers of this year’s Kenya Open Golf Championships have promised cash rewards to local professional who will make the cut and finish in the top ten at this year’s edition of the event scheduled to be held at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club between March 22 and 25.

Speaking during a cheque presentation at the Kenya Tourism Board offices on Friday, Kenya Open Golf Limited Chairman, Peter Kanyago, said the board had decided to take the approach with the hope of rewarding the players to boost their morale and in return enable them to produce better results than they have in previous years.

“This year we have challenged the Kenyan pros taking part at the Kenya Open by offering incentives which we hope will lead to better performances compared to previous years. In this regard, whoever makes the cut will get Sh 100,000 and whoever finishes among the top ten will walk away with Sh 500,000,” he said.

The cash incentive will be over and above the money which the players will earn from the tournament’s overall prize kitty of Sh 62.5 million; the biggest on the 2018 European Challenge Tour. The overall winner at the Kenya Open will walk away with approximately Sh10 million in prize money.

A total of 156 players are expected to tee off on Thursday morning at the Muthaiga Golf Club, among them a contingent of 26 local players, made up of 22 Professionals and 4 amateurs.

With the significant increase in prize money, the tournament has attracted an array of top golf players from around the globe, with the likes of 2009 Kenya Open winner, Gary Boyd, 2010 winner Robert Dinwiddle and 2016 champion, Sebastian Soderberg.

Other notable names include two-time Challenge Tour winner, Richard McEvoy (who won the 2017 Scottish Hydro Challenge tournament and the 2005 Panasonic Panama Open tourney) and three-time Challenge Tour and one-time European Tour champion, Roope Kakko (who has won the Madeira Islands Open tournament (twice); the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic tournament and the Volvo Finnish Open).

The Kenyan charge will be led by the likes of Dismas Indiza, Riz Charania, Simon Ngige and Stefan Andersen. The first three qualified by virtue of making the cut during last year’s tournament with South African-based Stefan Andersen qualifying through a wild card pick.

The rest of the Kenyan field was decided through a 5-leg qualification process, which the likes of Kenya’s most successful player at the Kenya Open Jacob Okello, Muthaiga’s Greg Snow, Great Rift’s Justus Madoya and another 16 players qualifying.

David Odhiambo of Nyanza Golf Club, Sigona’s Mohit Mediratta and Jeff Kubwa completed the list of 22 after qualifying a pre-qualification tournament played at the VetLab on Thursday, 15th March.

Preparations for the tournament are in top-gear with final preparations being put in place ahead of the next week tournament. The Government of Kenya, through the National Sports Fund and the Kenya Tourism Board, has sponsored the tournament to the tune of KShs 100 Million this year with both entities giving KShs 50 Million each towards the tournament.

This year’s tournament will feature special sitting around the green of the par-3, 13^th hole at the Muthaiga Golf Club – which will give fans an opportunity to intimately follow the action during play.

The main tournament, which tees-off on Thursday next week, will be preceded by two Pro-Am events on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Muthaiga Golf Club that will be sponsored by the Kenya Open Golf Limited and the Barclays Bank of Kenya respectively. cheap nike air max 95 trainers cheap nike air max 95 trainers

Dismas Indiza in action during a past tournament.

By DANIELLA APIYO

Mumias Sugar’s Dismas Indiza, Windsor Golf Club’s Riz Charania and Thika’s Simon Ngige are among top Kenya professional golfers leading a contingent of 19 local professional players who have been confirmed to take part at this year’s Barclay Kenya Open Golf Championship at the Muthaiga Golf Club from March 22 to 25.

The 19 are part of a total of 22 Kenyan professionals that the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) will submit to the Kenya Open. According to the Tournament Director, Patrick Obath, PGK carried out their qualification rounds and submitted the names.

“The contingent of Kenyan professionals is selected by the PGK through their own criteria and they in turn send in the names. So far the PGK has submitted 19 names and I am expecting another three names from them shortly,” he said

Indiza, Ngige, and Charania, automatically qualified for the 2018 Barclays Kenya Open Golf Championship by virtue of making the cut at the 2017 tournament; while the remaining 16 have been selected through a series of qualification events that have been organized by the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) over the last three months.

Others who have been confirmed are Golf Park’s Tom Omuli, David Wakhu and veteran golfer Jacob Okello; Muthaiga’s Greg Snow, Nicholas Rokoine, Kopan Timbe and Frank Matilo; Sigona’s John Wangai; Vet lab’s Brian Njoroge, Nelson Simwa and Matthew Omondi; Nyali’s Njuguna Ngugi; Railways’ Alfred Nandwa; Els Club’s Stefan Andersen; Royal’s Erick Obura and Great Rift’s Justus Madoya.

Commenting on the Kenya Open Pre-Qualificaiton round slotted for Monday the 19^th of March, 2018 at Vet Lab Sports Club, Obath said it is the Kenyan professionals who stand the best chance to grab the 3-slots on offer there.

“The Pre-Q will be held Vet Lab and on offer are an additional 3-slots in the 2018 Barclays Kenya Open. I believe our local golf professionals are best suited to claim all of these slots,” he said. “So in theory, we can expect to have 25 Kenyan professionals playing next week.”

In addition to the Pros, four Kenyan amateur players have been selected to play at this year’s Kenya Open; with two others being invited from Uganda and Tanzania to complete the roster of six amateur players slots allocated to the Kenya Open Golf Limited.

The four include Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi, Muthaiga’s Bhavnish Chandaria, Royal’s Dennis Saikwa and Nyali’s Daniel Nduva. Tanzanian Victor Joseph and Ugandan Ronald Rugumayo complete the local amateurs list for this year’s tournament.

Indiza, who made his Kenya Open debut in 1996 at the Muthaiga Golf Club and whose best score came in 2008 when he finished T10 with a gross score of 5-under 279, will be a favorite going into this year’s tournament where expectations are high from local supporters. shoesalesonlines shoesalesonlines