Niclas Johanson (L) winner play-off and runners-up Pedro Figueiredo from Poland.

By DANIELLA APIYO

Only nineteen Kenyans will feature in the 2018 Barclays Kenya Open Golf Championship as the final three slots, to make it 22 local pros, were filled by foreigners at a Pre-Qualification tournament that was held at the Vet Lab Sports Club on Monday.

All Kenyan Professional golfer who took part, among them Nakuru’s Richard Ainley, Muthaiga’s Nelson Mudanyi, Kenneth Bollo and Anil Shah of Royal Nairobi and Sigona’s Sujan Shah missed out.

Frenchman Victor Riu, who braved the morning rain over the course of his first few holes, qualified automatically after posting a 6-under par score at the par-72 golf course.

Niclas Johansson from Sweden and Pedro Figueiredo from Portugal joined him for this year’s Kenya Open after emerging second and third respectively in a six-man play-off decider that was held over the first nine to determine the remaining two players who will take part at the tournament.

Other players involved in the play-off included Mateusz Gradecki, Samuel Robertshawe, Gary Hurley and Roussel Robin from France. The play-off was occasioned after three players, Johansson, Figueiredo and Poland’s Mateusz Gradecki finished T2 with a point score of 69. 

Johansson who had finished 3-under par during the Pre-Qualifier, holed a birdie on the 3^rd while Pedro scored level par on the 5^th to claim 3^rd position.

Gradecki emerged 1^st reserve after bogeying on the 5^th while Irishman Gary Hurley emerged 2^nd reserve with a birdie on the 2nd. Englishman Robertshawe ended the day 3^rd reserve having made par on the 2nd.

Reserve players replace any player who, having already qualified for the tournament, may pull out at the last minute.

Three-time Challenge Tour Champion, Alvaro Velasco, former European Tour Champion Oliver Wilson, and current Cape Town Open Champion, Rhys Enoch, also failed to qualify with each posting 80, 71 and 72 point scores respectively.

Speaking at the end of the event, Kenya Open Tournament Director, Patrick Obath, said competition witnessed on Monday points to the level and quality of golf expected during this year’s Kenya Open.

“The competition we witnessed today confirms the level and quality of golf we expect to see at this year’s Barclays Kenya Open and I believe that fans will have a great chance to watch high-quality golf that we believe will be different from the previous years’,” he said. pandora charms sale uk pandora charms sale uk

Kenya Open Golf Limited director Kathleen Kihanya receive Sh500,000/- sponsorship from MultiChoice Kenya Corporate Affairs Manager Philip Wahome in support of 2018 Barclays Kenya Open due to start next week.

By AMANDA DAMARIS

MultiChoice Kenya has today announced a Sh500,000 sponsorship towards the 2018 edition of the Barclays Kenya Open Golf Tournament.

Speaking during the cheque handover ceremony at Muthaiga Golf Club Nairobi, MultiChoice Kenya Corporate Affairs Manager, Philip Wahome said, “Supporting sports in Kenya is just one way in which MultiChoice strives to use its influence and resources to play a positive role in the country and help to grow our local talent and sports. MultiChoice is rooting for the first local golf professional to win the prestigious tourney.”

Kenya Open Golf Ltd Tournament’s Publicity and Marketing Director, Kathleen Kihanya in appreciation of the support by MultiChoice commended the company for their eight year commitment towards the tournament.

She added, “We are glad that MultiChoice has once again renewed its commitment to support the Kenya Open Golf Championship. This goes to reaffirm the company’s commitment to the Kenya Open Golf Championship, and, by extension, the general growth and development of golf in Kenya.?”?

MultiChoice Kenya supports various local sports in the country through sponsorships and has grown hand-in-hand with various sporting fraternities by forging long-term partnerships to develop sports and local talent in the country.

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