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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Royal’s Hellen Gatirimu awards Naomi Wafula during the JGF awards ceremony on Wednesday.

By CORRESPONDENT

DANIEL Nduva and Naomi Wafula were crowned the top boy and girl player respectively in the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) awards ceremony held at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club on Wednesday.

Nduva who plays at Nyali Golf and Country Club underlined his supremacy in the boys category with a total of 71.20 points to his name as Wanjala reigned supreme in the girls pecking order with a slightly better aggregate of 73.40 points.

Wafula achieved a double feat after the conclusion of the two-day Kenya Junior Strokeplay Championships when she was declared the overall gross winner on a total of 219 (77, 72, 70).

Wafula, a student at Kilimani School, has been consistent this season and promised better things to come next year especially in international competitions.

“It was not particularly and I must attribute the feat to hard training on the course. It feels great to winning such an award at the conclusion of the JGF calendar,” said Wanjala who is a product of the Rose Naliaka Golf Foundation.

For Nadiva, this achievement came with the privilege of being sponsored for the Kenya Open Championships next March courtesy of the event’s main sponsor Crown Paints.

During his remarks after the gala, Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Francis Okwara said the governing body will work in partnership with well wishers to promote the game and put together a formidable team in preparation forv the Olympics.

Meanwhile, Kenya will be represented by a boy and girl in the second edition of the youth Olympic games set for China.

Kenya will also parade for the qualifier in Gaborone, Botswana where it will be represented by two boys and two girls teams.

Rest of KGF awards recipients-Gross Runners-up 12 and under-Dev Savani (289), 13-14 years-Emir Hussein (268), 15-16 years-Matthew Wahome (234), 17-18 years-Mercy Nyanchama (242), Gross winners-12 years and under-Njoroge Kibugu (282), Mutahi Kibugu (255), 15-16 years-Adel Balala (228), 17-18 years-John Mburu (236), Overall net winner-Kevin Munene (199), Overall gross winner-Naomi Wafula (219). JGF awards Division D boy player of the year 12 and under- Dev Savani (93.50 pts), Division D girl player of the year 12 and under-Joy Ndonga. cheap air max 97 cheap air max 97