Thika’s Simon Ngige chips the ball during a past event.

By FIDEL ONO

Thika Golf Club resident Pro Simon Ngige shot from the crowd to emerge the winner of the first leg of KCB golf tour held at the Thika Greens Golf Club at the weekend.

Ngige managed a total of 3 under par 141 to outdo the overnight winner Kopan Timbe who slumped to a disappointing 4 over.

“The course is extremely challenging but I feel good to have won. My putting is getting better as I continue to work on it,” said Simon Ngige.

He got four birdies in both front and Back nine, 2^nd, 8^th, 13^th and 18^th. Ngige who is a two time winner of the KCB tour order of Merit shot one under par 71 in the second day for a two day total of three under par 141.

In second place was John Wangai of Sigona golf club who kept the momentum from a good start on Friday. Wangai managed an impressive 2 under par 142 in a day that sow giants stumble at the greens.

David Opati of Golf course club and Anil Shah of Muthaiga golf club tied in third position with a total of 1 under par 143.

The overnight leader Nyali resident pro and current PGK captain Kopan Timbe was in tie with three others for the fourth position with level par 144.

The tournament which ran for two days will next be at the Royal Nairobi golf course

 The Leader board:

Simon Ngige 141 (70,71)

John Wangai 142 (70,72)

Anvil Shah   143 (72,71)

David Opati  143 (72,71)

Mathew Omondi 144 (73,71)

Dismas India 144 (72,72)

Eric Ooko   144 (72,72)

David Odhiambo 144 (70,74)

Kopan Timbe 144 (68, 76)

David Wakhu 145 (74,71) nike air max 1 nike air max 1

Junior golf coach Charles Farrar (right) poses with the national team members from left Daniel Nduva, Tahir Mohammed, Adel Balala and Mathew Wahome (standing), during the tournament in Zambia.

By CORRESPONDENT

RENOWNED golf coach Charles Farrar has refuted claims that poor selection of the national junior team resulted to the team’s poor performance at this year’s Africa Junior Golf Challenge in Zambia recently.

Farrar was reacting to Elisha Kasuku’s opinion that a qualifying event should have been used to select the best juniors in the country to do the job at the global level.

Kenya finished sixth in the competition, behind South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Re-Union Islands and Uganda.

“We just had a bad day in office during the tournament and for the team to finish sixth it doesn’t mean that we had bad selection of the squad. I don’t believe in a qualifying tournament to pick the national team, because a good example is when the US is picking it’s team to the Ryder Cup, would they leave Tiger Woods out of their team just because he played bad golf in a qualifying event?” posed Farrar was the junior team coach to the continental event.

He added: “Another example is reigning golfer of the year John Karichu who was omitted in the senior national team to the Africa Zone VI Championships because he did not play well in the qualifying tournament, but he came to prove that he was still the best amateur in the the country by winning the Winston Churchill tournament at Thika Club last weekend.”

Farrar exuded confidence on the youngsters and tipped them to perform better in future international tournaments after the Zambia experience.

The junior team to the continental competition comprised of Daniel Nduva, Mathew Wahoma, Adel Balala and Tahir Mohammed, all from Nyali Golf and Country Club. cheap air max 90 mens cheap air max 90 mens