Golf preview

EYES ON THE BALL: Ayumba Ayodi of Nation Media follows his tee shot in a past Media Challenge event.

By KGG CORRESPONDENT

After a month break, media practitioners converge at the Golf Park tomorrow (Saturday) for the opening of the second Quarter of the airtel Media Golf Challenge. The event will see the top contenders’ line up to bag precious points in the 10-round competition.

According to Golf Park’s administrator Brenda Njeri, the journalists should expect fast greens owing to the current dry spell and” very clear fairways”.

” The course has been spruced up, and the roughs are non-existent” she said. However, she noted that the journalists need to tread carefully on the greens because they are really fast. “One false move may result to catastrophic results” said Brenda.

The opening of the second quarter this weekend will also see the return of  airtel members of staff including Tom Indimuli from corporate communications and airtel money team leader, Sieka Gatabaki.

The media personalities in contention for the top honours include, JB Mwangi from Standard group who wrote a new script  at the final of the first quarter in May by clinching the hotly contested title, Kipchillat Kimaru from the Presidential Press Service, Tony Timase and Boniface Mutakha both of Royal Media,Tony Kwalanda from Media Max and Milton Nyakundi of KBC.

In the second last leg of quarter one, NTV’s Idris Situma outclassed 40 compatriots to take an early lead in the best of 10 series.  In the premier event, Citizen TV’s Timase returned 111 gross points leading Business Daily’s Steve Mbogo who returned 114 and The East African’s Peter Mwaura who returned 115.

In the ladies category, People’s Betty Muindi shot a magnificent 114 points to beat perennial rivals Josephine Ngumba from the People and Tabitha Warui from the Sunday Express.

The growing popularity of the tournament has seen entries shoot up remarkably forcing organizers to move the tee off times to early morning. The finals of the competition will be staged at the same venue in December 2011.

The remaining rounds will be played on stable ford format with the winners amassing 10 points at every event. The points will be tallied for the final score in December. nike air max damen nike air max damen

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Thika's Simon Ngige follows his shot in a past event.

By JAPHETH KAGONDU

Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige picked up a total of six birdies and dropped two shots, to share the opening round lead with Muthaiga’s Greg Snow on three under par as the seventh leg of the 2011 KCB East Africa Golf Tour’s KCB Bank Uganda Open at the Uganda Golf Club course Kitante Road Kampala yesterday.

Ngige a winner so far of three events in the series birdied the first, third and fourth but bogeyed the seventh and dropped one more shot at the 10th, though managed to recover with three birdies at the 15th, 17th and 18th for the day’s 69. Snow who is being sponsored by Serena Hotels group, also set off with three back to back birdies at the opening three holes, added one
more at the fifth but like Ngige, he also bogeyed the seventh and later on the 12th and 14th though he was able to pick up birdies at the 10th, 13th and 16th.
The two were a shot better than a group of four others who included Anil Shah who at one time was five under par and leading the pack by two shots until he double-bogeyed the 18th after sending his approach shot to the right green bunker, chipped shot from the green for a six at that hole which left him on two under 70.

He had birdied six holes and bogeyed two others. “I am rather disappointed that i am not at the top of the leaderboard. I had a bad drive at the 18th and played a low second shot which i thought was going to make it to the green, but went to the bunker instead” said Anil Shah who however said his golf was very solid.

He was joined on 70 by Vet Lab’s Boniface Simwa, Rwanda’s Jean Baptiste and Uganda’s P. Sendawula. Tournament favourite who is also the defending champion Dismas Indiza shot one under par 71 to tie with Jacob Okello, John Kagiri and Richard Ainley A total of 41 professionals and 10 leading Uganda amateurs turned up for the opening round of the one Million shillings
tournament which will be followed by the grand finale at Nyali Goll and Country Club Mombasa in August. canada goose frauen canada goose frauen