Ken Ndege (right) winner of the Leisure Lodge Golf Resort leg of the NCBA Golf series receives his trophy from NCBA Group’s Director of Retail Banking, Tirus Mwithiga on Saturday.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Leisure Lodge Golf Resort’s Ken Ndege carded a round of 38 points to claim the overall win of his home club’s leg of the ongoing NCBA Golf Series on Saturday.

He finished the day three points better than fellow club mate, Toni Venturini, who carded a round of 35 points to claims the winner’s position in the men’s category ahead of Sven Kampa who ended the round with 34 points.

The margins were close as well in the ladies’ category which was won by Kerry Venturini after she carded 34 points ahead of Caroline Mokaya who carded 32 points on the day.

Meanwhile, Solomon Atsiaya from Vet Lab claimed the front nine trophy having carded 18 points, while Leisure Lodge’s George Mokaya claimed the bragging rights in the back nine with 19 points.

Among the guests, Gurbux Sighn from Nyali was crowned the winner with 34 points, as NCBA’s Group Director for Retail Banking, Tirus Mwithiga, emerged best among the bank’s staff.

In the best high handicap category, Leisure’s Lukas Kampa emerged the winner with 39 points. Arnold Kipkoti took the trophy in the Longest Drive contest for men with 215 metres as Caroline Mokaya claimed her second trophy of the day having won the women’s longest drive contest with 181 metres.

Nyali’s Gurbux Sighn collected a second trophy after he won in the nearest-to-the-pin challenge.

The Leisure Lodge event was the 17th on the 2021 NCBA Golf Series which attracted the participation of 100 golfers. This now takes to over 2,300 golfers who have taken part in the Series since its inception in January this year.

Among these events was a two-day junior golf tournament that was held in August at the Karen Country Club which saw 43 junior golfers qualify to play at the Rome Classic tournament this month and at the Big Five tournament in South Africa next year.

Speaking on the side-lines of the Leisure Lodge event, NCBA Group Head of Corporate Banking, Charles Omondi, said the Series has helped create an engagement and interaction platform for the bank, adding that the series finale in Karen later in December should offer a great golfing spectacle.

“I think the first few holes were quite good but things became a bit hectic in terms of getting the swings right, missing pars here and there but, all in all, it was a lovely round. I got to play with people whom I had never met, so we enjoyed the conversation on the course.

“We have seen our customers in every club enjoying the spirit of golf. For NCBA, the Series gives us that opportunity to interact with our customers where they are. These events lead to the grand finale which will be held at the end of the year in Karen. Everyone playing right now is doing so, for a chance to play at the grand finale because it is going to be exciting and, in every way, representative of the NCBA brand.”

So far, 80 players have qualified to play at the series finale by virtual of qualifying in the top five of each seniors’ leg of the Series. The 80 include two juniors aged 11 and 12 who won at the Limuru and Karen legs respectively.

Attention now shifts to the Railways Golf Club for the 18th event in the Series Calendar.

David Wakhu follows his tee shot during the latest Safari Tour Golf leg at Great Rift Valley Golf Resort on Monday.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Golf Park’s David Wakhu, shot one under par 70 in the second round of the Great Rift leg of the 2021 Safari Tour series, to tie with day one leader Greg Snow on three under par 139, at the par 71 Great Rift Valley Golf Resort course on Monday.

The strong wind however denied the players some low scores as was the case in the opening round where eight players shot under par scores. Wakhu however said his plan was to go easy to make sure that he makes the second round cut. “I have been overworking myself in the gym thus giving myself fatigue, but I will try and make more birdies in the remaining two rounds and see if I can improve on my sores’’ said Wakhu who said he saved many shots because of his putting.

“My putting today saved the day as the course was not easy while the wind was very challenging’’ added Wakhu who started off with a birdie at the first hole, dropped a shot at the fourth and sixth but birdied the 12th and 14th to eventually catch up with the Muthaiga player Snow who bogeyed eight holes against five birdies for the day’s two over par 73 and a two rounds total of 139.

Apparently Wakhu’s one under par was the only under score for the day, with a level par 71 by Jacob Okello, Nelson Mudanyi who both missed cut, and Rwanda’s Aloys Nsabimana being the second best.

Meanwhile senior pro Dismas Indiza shot one over par 72 to move to third place on 141. He, however, dropped five shots and it was only his two birdies and an eagle three which saved the day for him as a total of 20 players made it the six over par cut to proceed to the third and fourth rounds where the winner will take home Sh230,000 depending on how many under par scores he will be able to post.

In fourth place on one over par total of 143 after posting one over par 72 was Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige, with second leg winner Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe firing his second 72 to tie on 144 with Samuel Njoroge and another Zimbabwean Tafara Mpofu.

It was a tough outing for some of the leading players such as Sigona’s John Wangai, and Mohit Mediratta, Mike Kisia of Vet Lab, Uganda’s Abbey Bagalana, and Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi all of whom missed the cut this round will have to wait for the Coast circuit at Nyali Golf and Country Club and at the Leisure Lodge Golf and Beach Resort in Diani, Kwale County next week.

The Leader Board after Day Two at Great Rift:

David Wakhu 139 (69, 70)

Greg Snow 139 (66, 73)

Dismas Indiza 141 (69, 72)

Simon Ngige 143 (71, 72)

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 144 (72, 72)

Samuel Njoroge 144 (70, 74)

Tafara Mpofu (Zim) 144 (70, 74)

Frank Matilo 145 (72, 73)

Andrew Odoh (Nig) 145 (72, 73)

Paul Chidale (Maw) 145 (70, 75)