Long hitter Ken Mabele lines his putt during a recent event. He will be in action on Tuesday at Royal Nairobi Club.

By DANIELLA APIYO

The national amateur golf team which is gearing up for the forthcoming Kenya Open Championship has been incorporated in the opening round of the KCB Golf Tour which tees off at Royal Nairobi Golf Club on Tuesday.
Top amateurs who have been picked through a rigorous Golfer of the Year (GOTY) selection process will have the privilege of brushing shoulders with some of the top seasoned Kenyan professionals.
In the fray after the draw was conducted is the three-man team which KCB sponsored in the recent Sunshine Tour in George and Johannesburg last month including Dismas Indiza, CJ Wangai and David Wakhu, who will be parading at his home course.
According to the programme released yesterday, the event will tee-off with a four round/72 hole pro tournament programmed running through to March 13.
The remaining lot of amateurs will then play an 18 hole stableford corporate round on Saturday March 14.
Former Kenyan athlete Elisha Kasuku alongside Indiza and Charan Thethy will be the first group in action at the first tee at 9oclock.
The first group on the tenth tee also starts action at 9.00 am and will comprise amateur W. Odera, Railway’s pro Ngugi Njuguna and Jacob Okello, the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Chairman.
At stake in the event is Sh 1million which is part of the Sh 5.5million Kenya Commercial Bank has committed towards prize money for the 2015 tour as well as facilitating for the recent trip which saw the institution sponsor three golfers at the South Africa based Sunshine Tour last month.
The first four tournaments at Royal, Thika, Kisumu and Nakuru will carry a prize fund of Ksh.1 Million each with a further Ksh. 1.5Million set aside for the Grand Finale in Nyali. The winner of the Order of Merit will pocket Ksh. 200,000.
Last year, in an effort to make the tour a lot more exciting to the players, KCB pledged to take the top three professionals of the tour to participate in this Sunshine Tour event and true to the sponsors word; the recipients of the gesture got some invaluable exposure down South.
Kenya’s best professionals have honed their skills from GOTY ranks and it will be exciting to see what’s up their sleeves in the opening leg of the KCB series.
Amateur Justus Madoya of Rift Valley Golf Resort tees off at 9.16am from the first tee in the company of Nakuru resident pro Richard Ainley and Tony Omuli who featured prominently in last year’s GOTY series before turning professional late last year.
Omuli will be treading on familiar ground and shall be battling his past amateur adversaries.
In the meantime, reigning two times GOTY Champion John Karichu will tee off at from the tenth tee alongside Nyali resident pro Kopan Timbe and Eric Ooko of Royal.
Karichu is intent on turning professional this year after carrying the country’s banner in the Kenya Open and Africa Zone five Championships slated for Uganda.
The 2015 KCB Golf Tour culminates with the Grand Finale at the Nyali Golf and Country Club course on August 8.

KCB GOLF TOUR DRAWS: Royal Nairobi Golf Club, March 10-14:
First Tee: 09.00: E. Kasuku, D Indiza, C. Thethy, 09.08: K. Abuto, K. Bollo (A), J. Lorum, 09.16: R. Ainley, J. Madoya (A), T. Omuli, 09.24: P. Thuo, H. Kutwa, A. Nandwa (A), 09.32: J Karanja, N. Rokoine, H. Thethy, 09.40: B. Simwa, Galgalo; JW Karanja, 09.48: S. Cohen, F. Matilo, K. Mabele,  09:56: A. Orende, G. Snow, CJ. Wangai
10th Tee: 09.00: W. Odera (A), J Okello, N. M. Ngugi, 09.08: N. Simwa (A), D Wakhu, G. Giddie, 09.16: R. Owiti (A), S. Muthugia, A Shah, 09.24: J. Karichu (A), K. Timbe, E. Ooko, 09.32: B. Chandaria (A), B. Njoroge, D. Opati, 09.40: Ajay Shah, D. Odhiambo, N. Mudanyi, 09.48: F. Kamau, C. Omondi, S. Ngige, 09:56: A Sihag, M. Omondi, A Kimani. cheap nike air max 97 cheap nike air max 97

Mathew Wahome reacts after finishing a round of golf recently.

By DANIELLA APIYO

At 17 years, Mathew Wahome is set to become the youngest golfer ever to feature at the prestigious Kenya Open Golf Championships, when the tournament tees of at the par 70 Karen Golf and Country Club between April 9 and 12.

Wahome who has been playing his golf at the Nyali Golf and Country Club and Mombasa Golf Club, qualified for the Kenya Open action by virtue of being crowned the Junior Golfer of the Year last year. He currently plays his golf at the Rodenbosch Golf Club, after he recently joined Rosebank College in Cape Town.

Despite being part of the European Tour where some of the best golfers in the world will be in action, Wahome is confident of a good show and believes he would not crack under pressure or feel inferior playing alongside some of the best and experienced players in the business.

“ Since I just started college in January, currently I go the range only twice a week after college and plays two rounds of nine-holes twice a week,” said Wahome.

He added: “I have never had a coach, I practice alone and hit about 100 balls when on the range and I’m sure I will be in a great shape by the time Kenya Open tees off.”

The former Mombasa Academy student who started playing golf aged eight years after being influenced by his elder brother Jeremy, currently plays off handicap 0.6 and boasts of a number of major titles at only 17 years.

One of his major victory is last year’s 95^th anniversary of the prestigious Barry Cup where he beat favourite and eventual Golfer of The Year John Karichu to the second position. The win saw him become the youngest player to win the coveted Barry Cup and his score of two under is the best in the history of the tournament.

He was also part of the national team in 2012 when Kenya won the East African Challenge in Burindi and also represented the country during the All Africa Junior Golf Championship in Mauritius in 2013 where Kenya finished fifth out of 12 participating countries.

“I have played on the Karen course many times, some of the notable occasions are during last the 2013 Karen Challenge which was a GOTY event and during last year’s world amateur golf ranking competition (WAGR), so it will not be a new challenge for me,” said the player who has also won accolades in swimming.

He added: “I will have to rely on my inner strength of mind and my skills on the course. I will absolutely not be under any pressure.”

This year’s Open will have 156 players consisting of both local amateurs and professionals. The year’s prize money for the championship is Sh20 million ( €200,000) with the winner expected to pocket Sh3.2 million (€32,000). Prior to the international tourney, Karen club will host two ProAm events on April 7 and 8.

Mathew Wahome’s fact file:

Name: Matthew Wahome

DOB: November 19, 1997
Handicap: 0.6

Parents: Alice and Martin Wahome

Siblings: Jeremy (HC 4), Andrew (HC 27) cheap air max 90 mens cheap air max 90 mens