Reigning Golfer of the year Kenneth Bollo at a past event.

By DANIELLA APIYO

Leading male amateur golfers in the country are expected to converge at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club for the Kenya Amateur Stroke-Play Championship slated for this weekend.

The 72-hole event, which counts towards the Kenya Golf Union (KGU), Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) and the World Amateur rankings, has attracted 84 players who will be in action from Friday until Sunday.

Top amateur golfers drawn for this prestigious tournament include defending champion Alfred Nandwa from Kenya Railways Golf Club and reigning KAGC leader John Karichu of Limuru Country Club.

Also drawn are Uganda top amateurs including Ronald Rugumayo (Handicap 0), Adolf Muhumuza (Handicap 0) and Asaba Dennis (Handicap +1) all from Toro Golf Club.

Also in the fray are Tanzania leading amateurs Victor Joseph (Handicap 1), Amani Saidi (Handicap 3), Issack Wanyeche (Handicap 3), Richard Mtweve (Handicap 3), John Katto (Handicap 9) and Seif Mcharo (Handicap 3).

The youthful players in the tournament will be led by Agil Is Hag, Daniel Nduva, Mathew Wahome all from Nyali and Mutahi Kibugu from Muthaiga.

According to the programme, the first round gets under way at midday on Friday before golfers tackle 36 holes on Saturday followed by 18 holes during the finals on Sunday.

The winner of this championship shall be the Kenya Amateur Stroke play Champion and the Trophy shall be held for that year by the Club which the winner shall nominate.

Besides, the winner of the event will automatically get a slot to play in the 2018 Barclays Kenya Open subject to satisfying other KAGC conditions.

The championship has been sponsored by Kenya Golf Union, Deloitte, Equity Bank, AGOL-Africa Gas & Oil Company Ltd, Windhoek Premium Lager and Nyali Golf and Country Club.

  cheap air max 97 cheap air max 97

Vijay Kantaria, Prime Bank’s Business Development Director hands over a 1M cheque sponsorship to Professional Golfers of Kenya Official Charan Thethy

By AMANDA DAMARIS

Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania will field top professional golfers in this year’s four round Prime Bank sponsored- Diani Beach Masters which will be held at Leisure Lodge Golf Resort, in Diani, Kwale County from Wednesday through to Saturday.

Over 30 local professional golfers including Greg Snow, Mumias long- hitter Dismas Indiza,  Jacob Okello of Golf Park, Sigona resident pro CJ Wangai, Thika Sports Club man Simon Ngige,  Vet Lab’s Bryan Njoroge, Eldoret Club pro Boniface Simwa, David Opati aka “Par 3″and Vet Lab’s Mathew Omondi have been enlisted for the event which is a key event on the Kenyan golfing calendar.

Other top locals enlisted for the event include Windsor resident professional Riz Charania, David Waku of Golf Park and Nicholas Rokoine.

Wangai who is also the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Captain said top regional pros have been factored in “as part of wider prospects to promote regional relations and golf tourism.”

Uganda will however be minus their leading pro golfer Deo Akope who has opted out due to personal commitments.

Wangai said Akope withdrew from the tournament citing pressing commitments back home.

In the absence of Akope, Wangai confirmed that Team Uganda will be represented by two professional golfers in Philip Kisozi and Abe Bagarana.

Wangai said Tanzania will also field two pros in Jimmy Moler and John Rodriguez.

Wangai added that pros will play two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday and will be joined by the amateurs in the last two days of the ProAm event.

“The Pro Am is designed to offer the amateurs an opportunity to play in a competitive atmosphere with their professional counterparts . The event will also be part of the golfing segment which promotes sports tourism by having the event at the coast, “said Wangai.

The event which is sponsored by Prime Bank will be played as a proam with professionals playing from Wednesday 18th.

Wangai said Professional Golfers will be battling for a prize money totaling to Kes 1Million sponsored by Prime Bank Ltd. This makes it one of the best well sponsored professional event this year after Kenya Open.

The event has also attracted huge entries of single figure handicapped amateurs from  across the country.

Speaking during the official launch of the 2017 Masters, Prime Bank Business Development Manager Mr. Jessee Mungai confirmed that Prime Bank is very keen on developing Champions through golf and urged golfers to show up in large numbers in Diani for the championship.

“We are proud to be associated with Diani Beach Masters which is a key tournament in the Kenyan golfing calendar. Besides promoting sports tourism in Kenya, we are also committed to promote sports tourism which is a key a key Foreign Exchange income earner in the region. As a Bank we have over the years demonstrated our commitment towards the promotion of professional golf in Kenya by partnering with PGK which is the local governing body of pro golfing in Kenya.  This tournament will serve as a significant  build up for our locals towards the 2018 Kenya Open which makes us proud to be associated with it and be part of the success story of golf, tourism” said Mungai.

Mungai added that Diani Beach Masters which was inaugurated in 1998 will offer regional players a competitive platform to showcase their skills after the recent Uganda Open .

Two Rwanda’s top professional golfers Jean Baptiste Hakizimana and Emmanuel Ruterana have also been invited for the event, according to Wangai. cheap nike air max 90 online cheap nike air max 90 online