By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Reigning Kenya Amateur Golf Champion Samuel Njoroge will lead a four-man Kenya amateur team to the 2019 KCB Karen Masters which tees off at the Par 72 Karen Country Club on Wednesday.

Also in the mix is Nyali’s star player Daniel Nduva who won last weekend’s 56-hole Corronation Trophy in Nakuru. Nduva is the immediate former Kenya Amateur matchplay champion and one of the most consistent amateur golfers at the present. 

Two-times Coast Open Champion Mathew Wahome, also from Nyali is the sole junior player in the team. Wahome, son of Junior Golf  Foundation Coast Representatve Alice Wahome has been known to be calm off the course, but on it he’s a talisman. 

He is making a comeback to the big stage after winnng  the recemt Trans Nzoia Championship,  a round of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC-formerly GOTY). 

Njoroge and Nduva missed the cut in the 2019 Magical Kenya Open and will be hoping to make amends in the Sunshine Tour event. 

“We have been practising at Karen over the past few days in order to familiarise with the course conditions. I’m glad that the few practice rounds we hav had are coming through really well. My aim is to make the cut and finish in the top 20 position, ” said Njoroge who won the 57th FirstBank Lagos Amateur Golf Open last year at Ikoyi Club in his first visit to the West African country. 

Njoroge was crowned the champion of the KAGC, formerly Goty, after winning last year’s Nyali Open. He will also be joined by Simon Njogu of Great Rift Valley Resort. Njoguis incidentally the reigning 2019 Muthaiga Open champion.

Njoroge, who turns out for Railway Club, has been posting good results since winning Mt Kenya Golf Championship, which was the first event in the 2019 KAGC Series. He also won the Railway Invitational, his home round of the national series.

Notable absetee in the team is Muthaiga  junior Mutahi Kibugu who was among the two juniors in the Kenya Open team who later playing  for Muthaiga at this year’s Tannahill Shield. The four Kenyan amateurs are all single handicapped players selected through Kenya Golf Union ranks. 

The amateurs will join the 30 local professional players named recently to represent the country in the prestigious Sunshine Tour event.  

Twenty five professionals qualified from the PGK Order of Merit following the conclusion of the four leg KCB Road To The Masters. 

Five others made it by virtue of making the cut at the Kenya Open 2019 and last year’s Karen Master’s. They are Simon Ngige and Justus Madoya in this year’s Kenya Open and Dismas Indiza, Riz Charania and Mohit Mediratta in the Karen Masters. 

Meanwhile,  foreiners mainly from down south and various parts of Africa are in the country well in time for Karen Masters. 

Uganda will field there players including Philip Kasozi who qualified for the 2019 Kenya Open through the Safari Tour series. In town also is last year’s runner up Merrick Bremner who is being sponsored by Betway. KCB has invited partners including Standard Group, Johnnie Walker, Coca Cola, DT Dobie to enhance the experience at the event for the thousands of golf fans expected to grace the event.

 Entry at the event will be Kshs 1500 for a season ticket and 500 

 

 

TEAM KENYA:

-AMATEURS:

Samuel Njoroge -RAILWAYS 

Daniel Nduva -NYALI GCC

Mathew Wahome -NYALI GCC

Simon NJOGU-GREAT RIFT

 

-PROFESSIONALS:

Exemptions from Road To Masters qualifiers
Simon Ngige , Dismas Indiza, Rizwan Charania , Mohit Mediratta and Justus Madoya .

 

PGK Order of Merit:
CJ Wangai, Greg Snow, Alfred Nandwa, David Wakhu, Erick Ooko Obura, Nelson Mudanyi, Jeff Kubwa, Njuguna Ngugi , David Odhiambo, Tony Omuli , Sujan Shah , David Opati , Hesbon Kutwa , Ganeev Giddie , Dennis Saikwa Ken Abuto , Richard Ainley, Frank Matilo , Jacob Okello , Edwin Mudanyi , Kenneth Bollo, Joseph W Karanja, Sullivan Muthugia, Boniface Simwa ,  Kopan Timbe, 

 

Pro Reserves:

Kevin Mabele 

JM Karanja 

Charan Thethy 

Anil Shah 

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Home golfer George Makori led the last batch of qualifiers from Royal Nairobi Golf Club to the Pro-Am of the forthcoming KCB Karen Masters and excused confidence ahead of the Sunshine Tour event.

Playing off handicap 15, Makori shot 39 stableford points made up of 19 in the front nine and 20 in the back nine to emerge the overall winner.

“I’m over the moon. Qualifying for the Masters is a dream come true and a once in a lifetime opportunity for locals who now have the chance to brush shoulders with the cream of Sunshine Tour ‘s Best. Being the last group of qualifiers ,we have a lot of catch up to do as there are only two weeks left before the event starts,.Play was all good. I enjoyed my four ball which included Ken Monari” said Makori after winning the fifth and last round of the KCB Read To The Masters.

Other qualifiers from Royal Nairobi were men’s winner Robert Nyanchoga with 38points, lady winner Jessica Kang with 33 points, staff winner Timothy Kuria with 28 points, guest winner Muli Kavita from Machakos Golf Club with 39 points and the wildcard winner Charles Machani whose slot was determined by a random balloting of players cards at prize giving.

Like Makori, Nyanchoga savored Karen Masters qualification. He beat clubmate Bharat Gohil to the Masters slot on countback.

Nyanchoga shot 21 and 17 on both nines whereas Gohil carded scores of 20 and 18 in the first and second nines respectively .

Men’s third with a score of 37 was Benard Kiraithe. First nine winner with a score of 20 was J Juma while Chrispin Muoune won the second nine on a similar score.

Nancy Ikinu and Allan Oluoch were the women’s and men’s longest drive winners.

Lady winner Jessica Kang also won nearest to the pin.

KCB Bank Kenya Head of Corporate Banking. Timothy Kuria who was also the staff winner lauded the golfers for the huge turnout. Over 200 golfer took part in the event. “We are redefining golfing in Kenya by increasingly giving more opportunities to amateur and professional golfers across the country. We believe in growing sports talent for local and international competitions. It’s our way of using golf to promote sports tourism and as a result catalyzing Kenya’s economic growth agenda. On behalf of KCB Bank, I welcome you to the 2019 KCB Karen Masters that will tee off at Karen Country Club on 26^th -30^th June 2019. Come join the swing masters in what promises to be a week of great golfing action,” he added.