PGK chairman Riz Charania lines his putt during a past event. He will be part of the action at the Nyanza leg.

By FIDEL ONO

The battle for cash and Order of Merit points in the 2014 KCB Golf Challenge moves to the lake-side Nyanza Golf Club course Kisumu this weekend, for the third leg of this year’s series.
A total of Sh500,000 will be at stake in the two-day tournament where the winner will take home Sh117,000. A field of 30 professionals including the current leader of the four-events series were drawn to tackle the par 70 Nyanza Golf Club course from where the Professional Golfers of Kenya will probably pick up its team of eight for next weekend’s Rapid Golf Tour event at Muthaiga.
The Rapid Tour event, the first in the eight-events series will be a matchplay event involving Kenya’s national senior team, junior team and the Professionals team. Each side will be made up of eight players and a reserve.  This is the first of its own kind in the country. This weekend’s KCB event is therefore most crucial for the pros as each one of them will be fighting to get a place in the top eight. The long driving Indiza from Mumias Sugar won the second leg at Royal on July 11 to eventually jump to the top with a total of 28 points having picked up eight in the first leg at Thika Greens. He is three and half points ahead of Royal Nairobi’s David Wakhu and about seven clear of Coast based Kopan Timbe and Vet Lab’s Brian Njoroge. All of those are drawn in Kisumu and so is Royal Nairobi’s Eric Ooko and Muthaiga’s Nicholas Rokoine who finished second at Royal. Also seeking a place at the top eight will be Golf Park’s David Opati and Joseph Karanja, Royal Nairobi’s Charan Thethy, Nakuru’s Richard Ainley, Njuguna Ngugi from Railway and Sigona’s John Wangai. This year KCB which has put aside a total of Sh24m for the series, will sponsor the top three pros in the Order of Merit after the grand finale at Nyali Golf and Country Club on September 26, to play in the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. The KCB Golf Challenge which a few years ago attracted most of the pros in the East Africa region before it was reduced to a local series is marking its eighth year .
Tomorrow’s first round is set for 9am where Indiza is drawn with senior pro Elisha Kasuku and Eric Ooko. Saturday’s round two draw where the pros will be joined by amateurs from the Nyanza and Western region, will be seeded. pandora bracelet charms pandora bracelet charms

By DANIELLA APIYO

Nelson Simwa (right) in past action. He is part of the national team to defend the East Africa Challenge title in Kampala.

Robinson Owiti, Kenya’s captain at last year’s East Africa Challenge has called on Kenya Golf Union (KGU) to enable the team to train together in order to prepare well for their title defence during the regional event that will take place at the Entebbe Golf Club in Uganda between August 27 and September 1.

Owiti was speaking a day after KGU named a strong team of five top amateur players and four juniors. Training for the event is expected to start today with the senior players practicing at Muthaiga Golf Club while the juniors will be training at the Nyali Golf Club.

“We need to practice together and plot how we are going to play in Uganda. That is the only way we will be able to defend the title, we don’t need to train in two different venues and we are one team,” Vet Lab’s Owiti who is currently third in the Golfer Of The Year standings told Kenya Golf Guide.

While announcing the team the the union chairman, Peter Warui said that by selecting juniors, it is a bold move and one of the steps aimed at golf development.

The Team to East Africa Challenge 2014 will be led by Head of Delegation Warui, Anthony Muhoro -Tournament Director and the team coach Anil Shah.

The East Africa Golf Challenge event remains one of the most prestigious golf competitions in East Africa. It was first played in 1999 in Kenya and it involves the members of East Africa Community. Last year Ethiopia was invited to participate and they have also confirmed their participation in this year’s event.

Competing countries include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia. The format involves 4 rounds of golf with singles, foursomes, four ball better ball and final singles. Each country has eight players and a reserve.

It will consist of the following:

1.Nelson Simwa- Vet Lab

2.John Karichu – Limuru

3.Robinson Owiti- Vet Lab

4.Tony Omuli- Golf Park

5.Alfred Nandwa- Njoro

6.Tahir Mohamed- Nyali- Junior

7.Daniel Nduva ( Nyali- Junior)

8.Mathew Wahome- (Nyali- Junior)

9.Adel Balala- (Nyali- Junior)

air max 97 air max 97