BRIGHT START: Nelson Simwa in action during last year’s Kenya open Golf championships.

By FIDLE ONO

Kenya Amateur Matchplay Champion Nelson Simwa of Vet Lab Sports Club plans to build on his win at the season opening Sigona Bowl competition to clinch this year’s Golfer Of The Year (GOTY) title that has eluded him twice in the last two years.

Simwa who last year finished fifth in the series, started this season on a bright note, beating Royal Nairobi’s Jay Sandhu by four shots to clinch the 55th Sigona Bowl title.

The plus two handicap Simwa who is targeting this year’s ‘Golfer Of The Year’ award, fired one over par 73 in the final round for a 54-hole total of five over par 219.

The tournament was held at the at the par 72 Sigona Golf Club course.

“This is a perfect start to the season for me as it goes well with my plan to win the 2014 GOTY title before I turn professional,” said Simwa.
However, Simwa lamented that the slow greens denied him an under par finish.

“I had a good chance of finishing under but I made four unnecessary bogeys, two in each nine,” he noted.

The player made only three birdies for the day, all at the back nine’s 10th, 11th and 15th.

Sandhu shot four over par 76 despite finishing with a birdie at the 18th.

“I still left many putts far away because of the greens which were still slow compared to the first round on Friday,” said Sandhu, whose round of 76 gave him a total of 223 gross.
Like Simwa, Sandhu also made three birdies but bogeyed seven holes, four at the outward nine.

Kericho’s William Odera finished two shots behind Sandhu in this Kibo Sports Company tournament.

Odera also shot four over par 76 to tie for the third place with first round leader Erick Ooko who shot a disastrous eight over par 80 after several bogeys.

“Putting was still a problem for me. I couldn’t just get a number of putts in although I am happy I maintained to finish in third place,” Ooko said. Mike Kisia from Eldoret took the overall nett title with a score of 211 nett made up of 71, 68 and 72.

Kisia beat home player, Mohit Mediratta, by 10 shots while Windsor’s Santiago Villamiza was third on 222.

Ooko won the round one gross  on 73 as Daniel Nduva (72) and Tony Omuli (72) won the second and third rounds respectively.

On the other hand, Robert Odero (69), George Mwaura (70) and Agil Is-Haq on 72 won the three net rounds.

Michael Njoroge won the Subsidiary event with 38 points after a three-way countback with Nikunj Shah and Amid Sodha. cheap air max 2017 cheap air max 2017

Jecinta Wambugu putts during the 12th leg of the Barclays Golf Circuit at the Karen Golf and Country Club at the weekend.

By FIDEL ONO

The 12th leg of the ongoing Barclays Bank Golf Circuit was predicted to be a cracker and it didn’t disappoint.
The event attracted a large of 230 players but at the end only 140 completed and home player Paul Mugambi was the overall winner at the par 70 Karen Golf and Country Club.
Mugambi playing off handicap six needed a back-to-back countback to beat F.M Kahuruka and Muchai Githu to win the day long tournament on 39 stableford points (19, 20).
In the first nine, Mugambi had five pars and a birdie for a score of 19 points. He registered six pars in the second nine and a birdie on the par five hole 15 for a score of 20 points.
The feat meant that Mugambi would lead a team of nine qualifiers to the tournament’s Grand Finale slated for the same venue on February 22. Karen produced six qualifiers and Railway Golf Club produced three qualifiers from the event.
Kahuruka playing off handicap 14 settled for the runner-up position on 39 points (20, 19) and handicap 15 Githu was third on 39 points (21, 18).
Betty Gacheru playing off handicap 15 emerged the lady winner on 38 points (19, 19), while handicap 12 Christa Van Luisk was the lady runner up on 37 points. The guest prize was won by handicap 17 Isaac Otieno on 35 points (16, 19) after beating handicap nine P. Kinuthia on count back. Kinuthia settled for the guest runner up position on 35 points (18, 17).
The staff prize was won by handicap 25 Sam Munyua who posted 37 points and the team comprising of Joe Wangai, J. Momanyi, E. Guda and Purity Muthoni won the team prize after managing a joint score of 39 points.
Florence Maina had the ladies nearest to the pin, while David Swao had the men nearest to the pin. The men straightest drive prize went to Caleb Cositany, while the ladies straightest drive prize was won by Nisha Van Hoek.
Speaking during the prize giving, Barclays Bank’s director of compliance in East and West Africa, Laban Omangi, lauded the condition of the course and participants who took part in the event. He said Barclays has continued to draw top golfers across the country, providing an opportunity to learn from each other as it strives to enhance the golf standards in the region.
The overall winner during the grand finale will land a fully paid golfing tour on the expansive golf courses in South Africa, while the top 20 at the finale will get slots to play at next year’s Barclays Kenya Open Golf Pro Am.
“The pro-am is a dream for any amateur golfer where they get an opportunity to play with mainly top European professionals that grace the Barclays Kenya Open between March 6 and 9. Courtesy of Barclays hospitality, they will also get season tickets and VIP guest passes to the Barclays Hospitality tent at the Barclays Kenya Open,” Omangi said.
The next leg of the competition will be held at the Vet Lab Golf Club on January 25 where participating clubs will be the home club and Golf Park.
Qualifiers: Karen-Paul Mugambi, Peter Waweru, Betty Gacheru, Mafred Egger, David Lowe, Christa Van Luisk; Reserve-Scott Davey. Railway- F. M. Kahuruka, Muchai Githu, F. Njuki; Reserve- E. Guela.
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