Nicholas Rokoine lines his putt at a past event. He will lead a team of 30 professionals at the Mumias Golf Finals slated for Saturday at the Limuru Golf and Country Club.

By FIDEL ONO (Writer)

Over 30 Kenyan professional golfers are expected to play at the Mumias Sugar-sponsored amateur series grand finale at Limuru Country Club on November 3, 2012 after the sugar miller decided to offer a stake of KShs300, 000 for a two-round contest to spice up the finals.

Professional Golfers of Kenya captain, Peter Njiru, has confirmed that 24 professionals had put their names down for the 36-hole competition but expected the number to go up once Brian Njoroge, Hardeep Thethy, Ganeev Giddie and Stefan Andersen return from the MENA Tour in the Arabian Gulf this weekend. The quartet had been participating in the tour in Gulf States of Abu Dhabi, Ras al Khaimah and Dubai as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is expected to confirm involvement.

“We are very excited with the opportunity that Mumias Sugar Company has given our professionals and we want to raise the highest number of players possible for the event,” said Njiru.

KCB Order of Merit winner for 2012, Nicholas Rokoine, veteran Elisha Kasuku and former PGK Chairman Charan Thethy and current office holder Riz Charania are also scheduled to play at the chilly highland golf course next month.

The event will be a culmination of nine months of a qualifying series for amateurs that took place in 14 different clubs involving players from over 30 clubs across Kenya. Over 160 players qualified for the finals and will be battling it out for grand prizes courtesy of Mumias Sugar Company.

Mumias Sugar Company Chief Executive, Peter Kebati, was impressed with the enthusiasm by local professionals to play in the event saying: ” it showed the hunger our professionals have for tournaments”.

“We are considering involving them in a small way in our series next year in support of their quest for excellence in the game of golf,” said Kebati.

“Our professionals work really hard but the opportunities are very limited for them. We want to be a part of their progress towards Kenya Open supremacy,” he said.

The Mumias Sugar-sponsored Natural Sweetness Golf Series began in March with qualifiers at Kenya Railways Golf Club and concluded on October 13, 2012 at Nyanza Club. The uniquely structured stroke-play event categorised golfers on the basis of their Confederation of Golf Unions (CONGU) handicaps as follows: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25 and 26-36. Two top players qualified from each category.

Other qualifiers took place at Limuru, Nakuru, Kilifi (Vipingo), Mumias, Nairobi and Kiambu. The sugar miller has used the tournament to profile its products such sugar and   the new Mumias Sprinkles mineral  water.

“We have great prizes lined for our finalists in Limuru and expect to witness a great competition,” said Pamela Lutta, Mumias Sugar Company’s director for marketing and corporate affairs. nike air max nike air max

Kenya Golf Union chairman Alfred Kariuki putts during the launch of the Barclays Golf Circuit at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club today.

By FIDEL ONO (Writer)

Leading financial services provider Barclays Bank of Kenya has today launched a golf series dubbed Barclays Golf Circuit. The series is aimed at supporting the development of the game of golf in Kenya, as well as act as a build up towards the 2013 Barclays Kenya Open.

The Golf Circuit will tee off Saturday with its first round to be held at the Nyali Golf and Country Club. A total of 13 rounds have been lined up for the series which will feature 25 golf clubs countrywide.

Over 2,400 golfers are expected to participate in the series and it is also open to junior golfers with official CONGU handicaps.

Speaking at the launch event, Barclays Acting Head of Consumer Banking Edgar Kalya said: “Golfing has always been at the heart of Barclays Bank of Kenya. The launch of the Barclays Golf Circuit is a further demonstration of our support for the game, while at the same time reinforces our commitment to communities we operate in both socially and economically through such avenues”.

Mr. Kalya also presented a cheque of Ksh300, 000 to the Kenya Golf Union (KGU), to go towards supporting the development of Junior Golf in Kenya. He further added that the circuit is an excellent opportunity for golfers to not only support worthy causes, but likewise provides them with opportunities to compete and network with their industry peers.

He noted that the circuit provides the Golfers a chance to enter the circuit’s grand finale at Karen Golf Club on 2^nd February 2013, where the top 20 winners at the finale will get slots to play in the Barclays Kenya Open Pro Am 2013.

The pro-am is a dream for any amateur Golfer where they get an opportunity to play with mainly top European professionals that grace the Barclays Kenya Open.  Courtesy of Barclays Hospitality, they will also all get season tickets and VIP guest passes to the Barclays Hospitality Tent at the 2013 Barclays Kenya Open.

In addition, Mr Kalya added: “In conjunction with Kenya Golf Union and participating Clubs, Barclays will also raise resources throughout the circuit that will go towards supporting charitable initiatives that enhance the livelihoods of communities through financial literacy, enterprise skills and life skills”.

The hosting clubs include; Nyali Golf Club, Eldoret Club, Vet Lab Sports Club, Nyeri Club, Nyanza Club, Railways Club, Kiambu Club, Royal Nairobi Club, Sigona Golf Club, Windsor Golf & Country Club, Muthaiga Golf Club, Karen Country Club, and Limuru Country Club. maillots foot maillots foot