WINNERS SWING: Robinson Owiti follows his tee shot during the Karen Challenge at the weekend.

By ENOCK NGOME

Robinson Owiti of Vet Lab Club is this year’s Karen Challenge winner after registering a total score of 217 gross in the 54-hole event at the par 72 golf course.

The event was the 12^th round of this year’s Kenya Golfer of The Year (GOTY) series and Owiti who plays off handicap 1 earned 12 points towards the series from the Karen win, to leap to sixth position despite only featuring in four series events.

He missed the Mount Kenya Championships, Muthaiga Open, Windsor Classic, Limuru Open, Winstone Churchil, Trans Nzoia Championships and Kenya Amateur Matchplay.

In the first round of the Karen Challenge, Owiti played 68 gross, before posting 76 gross in the second round and finished with 73 gross in the third and final round.

After the 12 rounds, Joseph Karanja still leads the GOTY standings with 53 points, followed by Tom Omuli on 42.50 points and David Opati is third on 31 points.
Mathew Opondo is fourth on 27.50 points, while Nelson Simwa is fifth on 27.08 and Owiti is sixth on 26 points.

Limuru’s John Karichu playing off handicap two was the runner-up on 224 gross after posting a total of 224 gross after the 54-holes (74, 74, 76), while another Vet Lab player Nelson Simwa playing off scratch finished third on countback with 227 gross (77, 69, 81).

Handicap three player Robert Kisia won the nett category after posting 218 nett (73, 67, 78) and he was closely followed in the second position by Muthaiga’s handicap four player John Gitonga on 219 nett (75, 74, 70) and Thika’s Paul Kingori finished third on 219 nett after losing to Gitonga on countback.

Mwaniki Gachoka was the guest winner on 29 points, while Eddie Wainaina was the subsidiary winner on 37 points and G.K Kiaries had the nearest to the pin. nike air max schwarz nike air max schwarz

By ENOCK NGOME

This year’s Kenya Airways Golf Safari has been sponsored toa tune of Sh15, 000 millions and will have 35 rounds, 24 events more than theprevious events where the series was only played over 11 rounds.

The announcement was made yesterday, when the nationalcareer sponsors presented a cheque to Kenya Golf Union officials through their AreaManager Nita Nagi at a Nairobi Hotel.

The third edition of the event will for the first time alsowitness the series go out of the continent as two event have been planned forBangkok, Thailand and Guanzhou, China, where the flight goes to.

“The 2010/11 edition of the KQ Golf Safari series saw usplay host to more than 1, 000 golfers from all over the world. We are using theKQ golf safari to popularize Africa as a potential golf tourism destination,”said Nagi.

She added: “The 2011/12 series will see 35 tournamentsplayed in 17 countries which include Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Cote D’Ivore,Senegal, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Sechelles, Rwanda, Uganda andTanzania.

An additional feature in this year’s series is the inclusionof two tournaments outside Africa with one tournament slated for Thailand andChina.”

Locally the series would be held in 16 golf clubs countrywide under the auspices of the Kenya Golf Union (KGU).

“We have had very fruitful discussions with KGU with na viewto working with them in managing the Kenya Airways Golf Safari Series 2011locally. We see these series as a way of promoting golf tourism as well asenhancing the development of the sport in Kenya and across the continent,” saidNagi.

She added: “To further cement this growing relationship withthe KGU, Kenya Airways is also announcing a Sh500, 000 donation to the Junior Golf Foundation that will be used tosupport initiatives to promote golf among underprivileged youth in the country.”

Winners from all the destinations are expected to convergein Nairobi for the Grand Finale in February. During the tournament, the airlinewill offer packages that tour operators can use to promote Kenya as a superbgolf destination.

Meanwhile, Karen Golf and Country Club today hosts the creamof local amateur golfers for the Karen Challenge, an event in the Golfer of theyear calendar. nike air max günstig nike air max günstig