CHIP: Michael Kinuthia chips the ball during a past NIC Bank Golf event.

By FIDEL ONO (Writer)

Grace Kibe returned an impressive 42 points to emerge the overall winner of the NIC Bank Golf Day at the Kiambu Golf Club. The handicap-34 golfer posted an average opening score of 19 points making a lone par on the 6^th and two bogeys on the 1^st and 3^rd holes.

On the closing nine holes, Kibe made three pars on the 13^th, 16^th and 18^th and the champion also made an impressive bogey on the difficult down par-3 17^th to post a massive 23 points for a total of 42 points. With this victory, Grace Kibe joins a long illustrious list of NIC Bank Champions.

Media mogul SK Macharia claimed the top men’s prize with a great score of 41 points. SK, as he is popularly known, a handicap-14 golfer, opened his round with a blistering 20 points, picking up birdie on the second hole and posting pars on the 4^th, 6^th and 8^th holes. On the closing nine holes, SK lost his footing through the 11^th and 12^th holes, dropped two crucial shots there, but a par on the 13^th got him back on the right track. He posted closing pars on the 15^th, 16^th and 18^th holes for a total of 21 points.

Sammy Mirui was the the mean runner up, losing to SK Macharia on count-back having posted scores of 21 and 20 points off a handicap of 22. John Gachuchu, handicap18 was men third with 39 points whilst John Ngure, handicap-4, was the Gross Winner with an excellent score of 77 gross. Ngure also claimed the Nearest to the Pin prize having hit his ball to within 2.6 inches of the cup at the par-three fourth hole.

The lady winner was Charity Njoroge, a handicap-21 golfer who also managed to post 41 points, made up of 21 points on the front nine and 20 points on the closing nine.

Allan Njoroge, a member of the Royal Nairobi Golf Club was the guest winner with 40 points. The prizes for the best nine holes went to Sam Kiarie with 21-points on the front nine and George Muiruri with 23 points on the back nine. The longest drive prizes went to Stephen Gitau and Jane Njoroge whilst NIC’s Tom Gitonga claimed the staff prize with 34 points. Simon Mwiti, a handicap-28 golfer, could only managed a total of 7-points and was promptly declared the “pinga-mingi!”

The NIC Bank Golf Series now moves to the Nakuru Golf Club on the 6^th of October 2012. maillot de foot 2018 maillot de foot 2018

ALL SMILES: Jane Njau admires the Dasani Trophy after scoring the best score at the Grand Finale to anchor her team to victory at the Karen Country Club on Saturday.

By JAMES WAINDI ( Chief Editor)

There is an old adage that marriages are always made in heaven and true to the words a Royal couple complimented each other to guarantee their team victory at the third edition of the Dasani Golf Gala’s Grand Finale held at the par 72 Karen Golf and Country Club on Saturday.

Jane Njau anchored her team to victory after scoring a remarkable 46 points to earn her team the prestigious winning gift of a fully paid golfing trip to Dubai. She literally complemented her husband Peter Kangethe who was the team’s weakest link on 33 points, while Gabriel Njiri contributed 34 points and Ken Kaunda amassed 33 points. They had a combined score of 113 points.

It was a fairy tale for the winners who were ironically third during the Royal qualifier two months ago and just made it to the Finale after being given special preference.

“We were driven by the fact that we were somehow considered as outsiders. We decided that we wanted to prove that we were not poor despite having finished third at the Royal qualifier. Golf is a mental game and I was in a great mental form given the fact that I was in the same group with my husband, it really calmed my nerves,” said Njau.

She added: “This is my best score in my golfing career and I can attribute a bit of it to luck. I started on the back nine in the afternoon when the other member of my team had already completed their round and the smiles on their faces were not pleasing, making me know that I had the responsibility to lift them up.

Everything just fell in place; I sunk a birdie on the par five dog leg right hole two then had a scratch on the 15^th hole, which is normally a tormenting hole for me on normal days.”

The winning four players, earned a chance to travel to Dubai to attend the Grand Finale of the European Tour, the DP World Tour Championships at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.

While in Dubai, the players will also have the opportunity to see Europe’s top 60 money earners on the 2012 Order of Merit battle it out for a 1.3 million winner’s cheque. In addition, they will play at some of the best golf courses in the region, including the Dubai Creek Course and the challenging Faldo Course at the Emirates Golf Club, a course designed by former world number 1 and six-time major Champion Sir Nick Faldo.

The Dasani Trophy will also be kept at Royal Club until a new winner is discovered from the next series.

The second team came from Karen on a combined score of 109 points, beating a Machakos team on count back. They were anchored by Emmanuel Agengo on 39 points, while Anthony Murage had 36 points and Clive Davis contributed 34 points. Anthony Mogere was the team’s weakest link on 28 points.

Machakos team of Fred Kilonzo (37), Dee Kivuva (36), Jackson Nzuki (36) and Larry Wambua (0) settled for the third position also on 109 points.

Paul Kaguamba won the nearest to the pin prize, while Anne Marie Vellekoop had the ladies longest drive and Edwin Kiarie had the men longest drive. Benson Wangalwa was the guest winner on 40 points and D. Aggarwal won the junior prize on 29 points. michael kors sac michael kors sac