Simon Ngige in a action during a recent tournament.

By DANIELLA APIYO

Aspiring golfers and professionals demonstrated their talent in golf’s big cousin, Long Drive at the Kenya Railways club in Nairobi. The event was brought to Kenya by the Board of United International Long Drivers (BUILD) and sponsored by Diamond Trust Bank (DTB). BUILD is a not for profit organization whose mandate is to promote the sport of long drive.

BUILD was represented in Kenya by Mombasa born Fareen Samji who is the current 3 time International Long Drive Champion (ILDC) Canadian Women’s Long Drive champion. “Bringing Long drive to Kenya is a dream come true for me, and I am overwhelmed by the response we received,” says Samji.

Each competitor at the DTB Drive For Show Long Drive competition hit a “set” of 6 balls with the longest ball coming to rest inside the fairway counting as their score. The day started with qualifying where each competitor hit 6 balls (1 set) and the top 4 qualified for the finals in the afternoon. In the Men’s Division finals Mike Kisia of Vet Lab hit the longest ball of the day at 379 yards to clinch the title over Amman Shah from Sigona.

The Pros division was a showdown of epic proportions with Simon Ngige of Thika defeating Greg Snow of Royal by 2 yards to win the title. Junior Boys showed tremendous talent and Windsor’s 14 year old Akshay Chandaria defeated 16 year old Aqib Assaria of Sigona. Junior girls had a talent that was very promising thanks to the teachings of Rose Naliaka. Serah Khanyereri defeated Joy Ndonga in the finals to win the title.

Running the grid for the event was seasoned tournament host Ryan Hawkins, the 2013 ILDC Canadian Men’s Long Drive champion and Team Canada captain. “I really didn’t know what to expect when I came to Kenya, but the talent of the hitters I have seen here is amazing,” says Hawkins, a left handed hitter on his first visit to Kenya.

Diamond Trust Bank was the official sponsors of the event. Heads of Products and Marketing at DTB Mr Gituku Kirika said, “DTB is excited to bring this event to Kenya in support of our theme of innovation.”

Onlookers were treated to a demo about long drive and some tips and techniques by Hawkins and Samji. The event was sanctioned by the KGU and unlike other golf events where silence is tradition at the tee, the event had a DJ spinning music all day for the hitters to hit to and it created a great vibe. KGU chairman Peter Warui says, “I never knew that golfers could hit to music, and hit well. I think the idea of silence on the tee is a myth!”

The event the first of its kind in Kenya attracted over 100 participants drawn from different clubs across the country.

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Long hitter Ken Mabele lines his putt during a recent event. He will be in action on Tuesday at Royal Nairobi Club.

By DANIELLA APIYO

The national amateur golf team which is gearing up for the forthcoming Kenya Open Championship has been incorporated in the opening round of the KCB Golf Tour which tees off at Royal Nairobi Golf Club on Tuesday.
Top amateurs who have been picked through a rigorous Golfer of the Year (GOTY) selection process will have the privilege of brushing shoulders with some of the top seasoned Kenyan professionals.
In the fray after the draw was conducted is the three-man team which KCB sponsored in the recent Sunshine Tour in George and Johannesburg last month including Dismas Indiza, CJ Wangai and David Wakhu, who will be parading at his home course.
According to the programme released yesterday, the event will tee-off with a four round/72 hole pro tournament programmed running through to March 13.
The remaining lot of amateurs will then play an 18 hole stableford corporate round on Saturday March 14.
Former Kenyan athlete Elisha Kasuku alongside Indiza and Charan Thethy will be the first group in action at the first tee at 9oclock.
The first group on the tenth tee also starts action at 9.00 am and will comprise amateur W. Odera, Railway’s pro Ngugi Njuguna and Jacob Okello, the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Chairman.
At stake in the event is Sh 1million which is part of the Sh 5.5million Kenya Commercial Bank has committed towards prize money for the 2015 tour as well as facilitating for the recent trip which saw the institution sponsor three golfers at the South Africa based Sunshine Tour last month.
The first four tournaments at Royal, Thika, Kisumu and Nakuru will carry a prize fund of Ksh.1 Million each with a further Ksh. 1.5Million set aside for the Grand Finale in Nyali. The winner of the Order of Merit will pocket Ksh. 200,000.
Last year, in an effort to make the tour a lot more exciting to the players, KCB pledged to take the top three professionals of the tour to participate in this Sunshine Tour event and true to the sponsors word; the recipients of the gesture got some invaluable exposure down South.
Kenya’s best professionals have honed their skills from GOTY ranks and it will be exciting to see what’s up their sleeves in the opening leg of the KCB series.
Amateur Justus Madoya of Rift Valley Golf Resort tees off at 9.16am from the first tee in the company of Nakuru resident pro Richard Ainley and Tony Omuli who featured prominently in last year’s GOTY series before turning professional late last year.
Omuli will be treading on familiar ground and shall be battling his past amateur adversaries.
In the meantime, reigning two times GOTY Champion John Karichu will tee off at from the tenth tee alongside Nyali resident pro Kopan Timbe and Eric Ooko of Royal.
Karichu is intent on turning professional this year after carrying the country’s banner in the Kenya Open and Africa Zone five Championships slated for Uganda.
The 2015 KCB Golf Tour culminates with the Grand Finale at the Nyali Golf and Country Club course on August 8.

KCB GOLF TOUR DRAWS: Royal Nairobi Golf Club, March 10-14:
First Tee: 09.00: E. Kasuku, D Indiza, C. Thethy, 09.08: K. Abuto, K. Bollo (A), J. Lorum, 09.16: R. Ainley, J. Madoya (A), T. Omuli, 09.24: P. Thuo, H. Kutwa, A. Nandwa (A), 09.32: J Karanja, N. Rokoine, H. Thethy, 09.40: B. Simwa, Galgalo; JW Karanja, 09.48: S. Cohen, F. Matilo, K. Mabele,  09:56: A. Orende, G. Snow, CJ. Wangai
10th Tee: 09.00: W. Odera (A), J Okello, N. M. Ngugi, 09.08: N. Simwa (A), D Wakhu, G. Giddie, 09.16: R. Owiti (A), S. Muthugia, A Shah, 09.24: J. Karichu (A), K. Timbe, E. Ooko, 09.32: B. Chandaria (A), B. Njoroge, D. Opati, 09.40: Ajay Shah, D. Odhiambo, N. Mudanyi, 09.48: F. Kamau, C. Omondi, S. Ngige, 09:56: A Sihag, M. Omondi, A Kimani. cheap nike air max 97 cheap nike air max 97