WELL OUT: Kevin Mabele leaves the bunker during today’s action.

By FIDEL ONO

Long hitter Dismas Indiza sunk a hole-in-one at the par three-13th in addition to four birdies, to share the round one lead with Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige on three under par 67 during the opening round of the KCB Golf Tour at the par 70 Nyanza Golf Club course today.

He started the first round well, rolling in two birdies at the outward nine where he also dropped a shot at the par three-eighth. “The greens at this time of the year are very difficult and one has to be real careful. I am happy though, I managed to sink in a couple of birdies” said Indiza. He birdied the 10th, hit a “soft” nine-iron at the 13th for his second hole in one as a pro and the third in his career. He added a birdie at the 15th but double-bogeyed the 16th to share the lead with Ngige who birdied the second, sixth, and ninth at the front nine and the 12th, 14th, and 15th but bogeyed the fourth, 10th and 16th. “My game is coming back at least, had a poor outing during the second leg at Royal” said Ngige who won the first leg at Thika Greens. He and Indiza were a shot better than Royal Nairobi’s Hardeep Thethy who had six birdies, made bogeys at the three single bogeys and a double bogey for 68. Royal Nairobi’s Eric Ooko was next on level par 70 while tying on one over par were Richard Ainley, Mathew Omondi, and Riz Charania. The second round gets underway at 6.30am today where the pros will tee off ahead of over 100 amateurs. The pros are playing for Sh500,000 with the winner expected to take home Sh117,000.

The KCB Golf Tour is 8 years old and throughout this time they have continued to receive tremendous support from the professional and amateur golfers . For the professionals, the KCB Golf Tour remains the only local golf tour available to them. The Sh5.7m prize money on offer in 2014 will sufficiently motivate them to play their best through the five legs. cheap air max 2017 cheap air max 2017

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