Junior golfer Mary Monari in action recently. She is part of the team to the British Junior Open.

By DONALD WELLINGTON

Kenya’s recent golf bronze medalists from the Youth Olympic Games, Africa qualifier in Botswana in May 2014, Adel Balala (Nyali Golf) and Mary Monari (Rose Naliaka Academy) leave Friday (11 July 2014) for the Junior Open championships 2014, to be held at West Lancashire Golf Club in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1994, the Junior Open came under The R&A administrative umbrella in 2000. Staged every two years, the event is closely linked to The Open Championship and played on a nearby course. All golfing nations affiliated to The R&A are invited to enter their best under 16 boy and girl golfers on 1 January in the year of the event.

The 54-hole strokeplay will start on Monday 14 July until Wednesday, 16 July after which the juniors will visit The 143rd Open Championships at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake – the most coveted trophy (the Claret Jug) in the game and one of the most iconic in all of sport.
The Junior Open is both a scratch and handicap event – all competitors will play 36 holes with the leading 80 and ties (gross) qualifying to play the third round. Prizes in the regional categories are awarded on the best nett score over 36 holes. In 2012, the field was 123 competitors from 68 nations.
The 15-year old Balala, (handicap 3) is currently a student at Tuks Sports High School in Pretoria, South Africa. He has represented the national golf team from the age of 13 years and is a member of the Kenya junior team since 2013, playing in the Africa Junior Challenge in Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Zambia and the Italian Under 16 golf championships last year.
Mary Monari, just turned 16 years of age, was a member of the victorious national side that defended the biennial Gilberson & Page Trophy at Muthaiga in 2013. Playing off 6 handicap, Mary was also in the winning team of the Lisle Shaw (Inter School Trophy) and the Nancy Millar Trophy at Karen She was placed second in both the Karen Junior Open and the Royal Nairobi Junior Championships last year. She is a Class 8 student at Malezi Academy.
The best boy to represent Kenya is selected at the Annual Boys Championships in August in the year preceeding the Junior Open – the winner of the Under 16 trophy- whilst the girls had a qualifying event at Windsor Golf and Country Club earlier this year.
A once in a lifetime experience, the players will be accompanied by Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) Trustee Christina Engell Andersen as the official delegate/chaperone. Andersen participated in the 2002 Junior Open winning the Africa Trophy. nike air max cheap uk mens nike air max cheap uk mens

David Wakhu follows his tee shot during a past tournament. He will among the pros in action at Royal tomorrow for the next four days.

By FIDEL ONO

Kenyan  professionals resume the hunt for Order of Merit points, and cash in the 2014 KCB Golf Tour series at Royal Nairobi Golf Club course. The first round of the 72-hole tournament which is the second in this year’s series following the opening leg at Thika Greens Resort, is scheduled for Tuesday (tomorrow).

At the close of entries middle last week, a total of 41 professionals had listed their names to play in the one million shillings tournament where the overall winner will take home Sh192,000 and Sh145, 000 for the second placed player. However tournament director Elisha Kasuku  said one of the two South Africa based players Stefan Andersen had confirmed participation while  Nelson Mudanyi  is yet to confirm. Kasuku however said Mudanyi will be allowed to play if he arrives in the country on time. “I have not been able to get Mudanyi, but if he arrives early enough, he will be able to tee off and so is Muthaiga’s  Anil Shah who has been away in the USA since last week.

However, most if not all the country’s leading professionals  are definitely set to  tackle the par 72 Royal Nairobi. They include local pros Charan Thethy, his younger brother Hardeep Thethy, Hesbon Kutwa, David Wakhu, and Erick Ooko. Also listed at Royal is Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige who goes to Royal as they leader of the series having take the first leg at Thika, as well as Kenya’s most known professional Dismas Indiza who led a strong contingent of 12 pros to Kigali for the weekend’s Rwanda Open at Kigali Golf Club where he shot nine over par to finish four shots behind the winner  Rwandan pro Jean Baptiste Hakizimana.

Tournament director and senior pro Elisha Kasuku is happy with the entry. “ I must say I am very happy with the entry list so far and will be very glad to see even more players coming at Royal on Tuesday’’ said Kasuku during the weekend. This year, KCB has set aside a total of Sh24m from which, Sh5.7m will be prize fund for the professionals with the grand finale at Nyali in September offering Sh3 million. In addition, the top three pros in the order of Merit after the end of the series will be sponsored to play in next year’s Sunshine Tour series. The pros are playing four rounds with the fourth round being a pro-am round on Friday where they will be joined by Royal members and guests of KCB. nike air max junior nike air max junior