Ruiru Sports Club’s Mary Wambui poses with the overall winner’s trophy of her home club’s leg of the NCBA Golf Series on Saturday, November 20, 2021.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Ruiru home player Mary Wambui carded a round of 42 points to top the leader board and emerge overall winner at the penultimate event of the 2021 NCBA Golf Series at Ruiru Golf Club.

Playing off handicap 32, Wambui became the second lady golfer to be crowned overall winner across the Series which teed-off in January this year. She joins an illustrious list of 20 other overall winners in the Series – which has now featured 21 seniors’ events and one junior golf tournament.

Her effort saw her brush off the charge by fellow club mate, Samuel Njuguna – playing off handicap 15, who also carded a round of 42 points to emerge the winner in the men’s category. Njuguna finished the round two points better than Joseph Kamiri, playing off handicap 19, who carded 40 points to emerge runner-up in the men’s classification.

In the ladies’ category, Ruth Kamau, playing off handicap 13, was crowned the winner with a score of 42 points ahead of Catherine Gitonga who ended the round with 42 points to claim the runner-up position in the category.

In the nines, Thagichu Kiiru, playing off handicap 18, and Mwangi Mukururi, playing off handicap 25, bagged the bragging rights in the first and second nines respectively with 23 points apiece.

Among the NCBA Group staff, Tirus Mwithiga – Group Director for Retail Banking playing off handicap 18, was crowned best of the rest having carded a round of 34 points. He now has a hattrick of ‘staff winner’ triumphs in the Series. Meanwhile, junior golfer George Wandera, playing off handicap 33, was crowned the best in his category after carding a round of 20 points.

In the longest drive contest, Charity Njoroge was crowned the winner among the lady golfers as Willy Biwott claimed the top honours among the men. In the nearest-to-the-pin contest, Sylvester Ondiek was crowned the winner.

222 golfers took to the course taking the total number of golfers to feature in the tournament to 2, 822. The top five finishers at the event – overall winner, men winner and runner-up and ladies’ winner and runner-up – join 100 other golfers who have qualified to play at the Series’ grand finale which will be held at the Karen Country Club on December 3rd this year.

The tournament will conclude with a second junior golf tournament that will be staged at the Muthaiga Golf Club from the 9th to the 10th of December this year.

Nine-year-old Cherono Kipkorir (left) with NCBA Director for Retail Banking, Tirus Mwithiga, after emerging the overall winner of the Royal Club leg of the 2021 NCBA Golf Series.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Eleven-year-old junior golfer, Cherono Kipkorir, carded an excellent round of 42 points during the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg of the NCBA Golf Series on Saturday to emerge as the event’s overall winner.

Cherono becomes the third junior golfer to claim the overall winner’s position in the Series following similar feats by twelve-year-old Nathan Mwangi, who won the Karen Country Club leg; and eleven-year-old Mumbi Gatu, who was crowned event winner in Limuru in September.

Cherono’s heroics were enough to fend off, on countback, the challenge by fellow club mate, Mwambu Malamba, who carded a round of 42 points to claim the winner’s spot in the men’s category. He finished ahead of Calvin Opati, another junior golfer who impressed on the day by carding a round of 40 points to take the runner-up spot.

In the ladies’ contest, Kathure Njoroge carded an impressive round of 41 points to claim the top bragging rights in the category ahead of Pascalia Koske who ended the round with 39 points to claim the runner-up position in the category.

Among the NCBA Group staff, Paul Jakaa shot a round of 35 points to win the category, while Brian Githaiga, with 34 points, was crowned the winner in the juniors’ category.

In the Nines, Joram Abuodha and Bernard Milewa both carded 23 points to claim bragging rights in the first and second nine respectively. In the longest drive contest, Simon Manambo was best of the rest among the men players, while Njeri Onyango hit it furthest among the lady players.

In the nearest-to-the-pin contest, Shadrak Ogindo was crowned the winner in the men’s category as Rebecca Likami won it among the ladies. Suresh Lakhani was awarded the best effort award with 17 points. Meanwhile, the tournament recorded a hole-in-one as handicap 16 Oscar Koitaba aced his shot at the 13th hole to record a rare feat at the tournament.

The Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg was the 19th event held in the Series – which has featured 18 seniors’ events and one junior golf tournament. 200 golfers took to the par-72 golf course, taking to 2,356 the total number of golfers who have now taken part in the event since its inception in January this year.

The top five finishers from the event – being the overall winner, the men winner and runner-up as well as the lady winner and runner-up – qualified to play in the Series grand finale which shall be held at the Karen Country Club in December this year. This now takes the total number of golfers who have qualified to play at the finale to 90.

Action now shifts to the Muthaiga Golf Club for the 20th leg of the Series this coming Saturday.