SWING: A lady golfer in action during a recent event at the Karen Golf and Country Club.

By KGG CORRESPONDENT

The national ladies golf team have took a single point lead, ahead of hosts Zambia after the opening foursomes and singles matches at the ongoing Gilberson and Page Trophy in Lusaka, Zambia.

Kenya has 20 points, a shot ahead of Zambia (19 points) and five shots ahead of Zimbabwe  (15 points).

In the morning foursomes, Kenya got six points from the second seed pair of Florence Maina and 13-year-old Naomi Wafula, who won their matches against Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The third pair of Bhavi Shah and Mwongeli Nzoika beat Zimbabwe but lost to Zambia.  Team captain Christina Andersen, paired with Jane Njoroge but lost both their matches 3/1 to Zambia and 3/2 to Zimbabwe.

Going into the afternoon singles, Zambia was one shot ahead of Kenya with seven points, and Zimbabwe had five points.  With a maximum of 24 points to be won by any team in the Singles, there was all to play for and the Kenyans had mixed results winning 14 points.

Defending champions Kenya, who won this trophy when it was last played four years ago, are up against home advantage. Zambia held on to win a total of 12 points, six each from Kenya and Zimbabwe in the Singles played at the Lusaka Golf Club, with Zimbabwe collecting 10 points, four from Kenya and six from Zambia.

The youngest team member, Naomi Wafula won both her matches beating Nan Kennedy of Zambia 8/7 and Zimbabwe’s Loice Chingono 3/1.  Kenya’s top seed and Pretoria-based Bhavi Shah beat the Zambian Devanshi Naik 3/2 but lost to Claire Minter of Zimbabwe 4/3.  Jane Njoroge beat Zimbabwe’s Aulia Alfazema and halved with Kaela Mulenga of Zambia, whilst her Muthaiga club teammate, Florence Maina also beat Zimbabwe’s Margie Brandt 4/2 but lost to Tina Mawa of Zambia in a close match, 1up.

In other results, Christina Andersen beat Zimbabwe’s Estralita Zerf  5/4 but lost to Zambia’s Hilda Edwards 5/3, whilst Royal Nairobi’s Sarah Hoare halved against Zambia but lost to Zimbabwe 5/3.

The second test match will be played at Chainama Hills Golf Club on Wednesday, June 1.  The team will play in the Zambian Ladies Open championships at the weekend before returning home on Monday 6 June.

Ends…………………. canada goose parka damen canada goose parka damen

SWING: Seacom Regional Head James Opio tees off to inaugurate the series.

By KGG CORRESPONDENT

Handicap 4 Evans Vitisia beat a large field of seasoned Nairobi golfers to emerge with the best shots of the day during the first series of Seacom golf tour at Muthaiga Golf Club yesterday.

The home club member got a strong 40 stableford points to emerge victorious after combining 20 on the front nine and 20 on the back nine.

Evans who have played golf since 1978 set off on the 373 yards par 1^st hole, bogeyed on 2^nd hole and back to back pars on 3rd,4th,5th and 6^th holes.

He embarked with a strong par on the famous notorious hole seven,562 yards, the only birdie on the first nine before wrapping up his front nine on 20 points with a par.

An elated Evans was on course again on his back nine which pared on 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15^th holes.

He hit the only bogey of his back nine on the 215 yards 16^th hole, a par on 17^th and a round of birdie to pen 20 on back nine.

“I played well, despite the captain trying to make the greens very hard for us, I focused on what had brought me here today and that’s how I won” said an elated Vitisia after receiving his prize from Seacom’s Regional Head Julius Opiyo.

Limuru’s Vincent Wan’gombe came in second recording 38 stableford points after combining 19 on front nine and a repeat of the same on his outward nine.

Playing off handicap 23, Wan’gombe started off dropping two shots on 1^st hole,double bogey on 2nd,dropped a shot on 3rd and 4th.

On the 165 yards 5^th hole, Wan’gombe hit a par, dropped shots all through to 9th with a double bogey on eighth hole to record 19 on front nine.

On back nine,Vincent got 19 points.He started off scratching on the 531 yards 10^th hole,double bogey on 11^th,dropped two shots on 12^th.He picked up a par on stroke index 12,13^th,dropped a shot on 14^th,double bogey on 15^th and back to back pars all through to 18^th to record 19 on back nine for 38 stableford points.

Sigh Khromov also a member at Muthaiga,playing off handicap 13 was third with 37 stableford points after combining 18 on front and 19 on back nine.

In the ladies category, handicap 9, Nancy Ndungu from Windsor golf and country club took home the ladies trophy after she combined 19 on the front nine and 16 on the back nine to romp home with 35 points. Emaculate Wambui and Shah Patel got 32 and 28 points to finish second and third respectively.

Anthony Ngacha took home the 1^st nine prizes after he played a strong 21 points and Japheth Kiboi took home the 2^nd nine with18 points.

Longest Drive Men went to Onesmus Mutuota and the ladies longest drive went to hard hitting Miriam Wambui.

John Odhiambo took home the nearest to the pin trophy and handicap 16 Joshua Chepkwony took home the Guest winners prize with 35 points. canada goose kinder canada goose kinder