Junior golfer Daniel Nduva (left) receives an award during the SOYA ceremony in December.

By DONALD WELLINGTON

On form junior golfer Daniel Nduva has been included in the six-man Kenyan amateur team for this year’s Kenya Open Golf Championships slated for Karen Golf and Country Club between March 5 and 9.

According to the list released by Kenya Golf Union (KGU) yesterday, the 18-year old long hitter was the surprise in the team and will mainly be the focus of attention when he makes his debut in the competition at such am early age.

Reigning Golfer Of The Year, Limuru’s John Karichu who also won the Kenya Strokeplay Championships will also be making a debut in the premier competition and also is Justus Madoya of Great Rift Valley Club by virtue of finishing fourth in the Goty series as well as Vet Lab’s Robinson Owiti who was third in the series.

The others, Vet Lab’s Nelson Simwa who won the Kenya Matchplay Championships and Golf Park’s Tony Omuli who was second in Goty series have had a go in the Open before.

While announcing the names yesterday, Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Francis Okwara the Kenya Open competition which is part of the European Challenge Tour, would give the amateur players a great opportunity to showcase their golfing skills against the best in the world.

“The players were selected as per the KGU policy on qualifications. The policy states that the winner of strokeplay championship, winner of matchplay championship as well as the golfer of the
year gets an automatic slot to play in the Open. The others are picked as per GOTY Standings,” said Okwara.

He added: “Recently, the Union amended the policy to include the best junior according to the Order of Merit.”

The last time an amateur made the cut in the competition was in 2011 and it was Boniface Simwa, now a professional based in Eldoret.
The Kenya Open has been an event on the European based Challenge Tour schedule since 1991. It was founded in 1967, and has been held at Muthaiga Golf Club every year except 1968, 2004-2008, and 2013, when the tournament it was held at Karen Club.

TEAM: John Karichu (Limuru)- Winner GOTY 2013 and winner Kenya Strokeplay
championship; Nelson Simwa ( Vet Lab)- Winner, Kenya Matchplay Championship 2013; Tony Omuli (Golf Park) Runner up GOTY 2013; Robinson Owiti (Vet lab)- Third, GOTY 2013; Justus Madoya (GRV(- Fourth GOTY 2013; Daniel Nduva- Best junior player in 2013.

air max 97 air max 97

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