Francis Okwara (centre) in a past function.

By CORRESPONDENT

Newly elected Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Francis Okwara has said he would be biased on Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) to ensure that talent in the sport is tapped at an early age.

Okwara was speaking at the Muthaiga Golf Club after being elected the new boss of the federation during the Union’s Annual General Meeting on Friday.

“The new office is committed to take golf to the next level and I am confident we will succeed. We will concentrate on the sport and put our eyes firm on the ball to see that the sport progresses,” said Okwara who replaced Alfred Kariuki at the helm.

He added: “We will have a bias on junior golf to ensure that we move golf to the levels of South Africa, European and PGA standards. I am also challenging the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) to start developing lady golfers from the junior ranks to keep up the pace with us.”

Outgoing chairman Kariuki thanked all clubs for supporting him through his tenure and said he had confidence in his successor Okwara to continue with development programs of the union.

He outlined that he will oversee devolution of junior golf development through appointing junior golf regional representatives in the Coastal region, North Rift Region, Central Rift Region, Mt Kenya Region and Western region. He also promised to work with golf clubs, schools, corporate bodies, parents and children in development of the game of golf to another level.

Peter Warui will be the Vice Chairman, while Anthony Mburu will be the Secretary General and Richard Wanjala is the treasurer.

The regional representatives for the Mt Kenya Region, Western, North Rift and Coast Region will nominated during the first executive meeting to be held later next week.

During the Chairman’s Prize tournament held to grace the occasion at the same venue, Windsor’s handicap 20 Hashim Khan who posted 43 stableford points to emerge the overall winner. Anthony Muhoro beat Tom Indimuli and E Sorobea on countback to settle for the runner-up posisition on 39 points.

Indimuli was third on 39 points and Sorobea finished fourth with a similar score. June Waweru was the lady winner on 35 points, while Steve Njukia won the men’s longest drive and ladies national team player Jane Njoroge won the ladies longest drive.

Don Mwaura had the nearest to the pin.

KGU new officials:

Chairman                – Francis Amutabi Okwara

Vice Chairman           – Peter Ngundo Warui

Hon. Secretary          – Anthony Muhoro

Hon. Treasurer          -Richard Nyongesa Wanjalla

Executives

Stephen Muchau Githiaka (Vet Lab)

Peter Wartnaby (Windsor Golf and Country Club)

Anthony Murage (Karen Golf and Country Club)

Paul Murumba (Kiambu Golf Club)

Patrick Karanja (Thika Sports Club)

Lucas Maranga (Limuru Golf and Country Club) doudouneparka doudouneparka

Nelson Simwa in action at a past event. He will be among the favourites at the tournament.

By CORRESPONDENT

Golfer of The Year (Goty) points will be up for grabs this weekend in Nakuru when a field of 109 players, among them some of Kenya’s elite golfers, converge on the hilly par-73 Nakuru Golf Club course for this year’s Coronation trophy.

The 54-hole strokeplay event, formerly the national championship in the country played concurrently with the Bendor Trophy, is the seventh leg in the 18-event Goty series. The series is also used for selecting the national team and for ranking amateurs in the country. The overall winner of the series also qualifies to play in the Kenya Open, a European Challenge Tour event.

So far a total of 41 players have scored points in the series, courtesy of the new bonus points scoring system which intends to reward players points rather than improving the standards.

Since the introduction of the bonus points, a number of golfers, some of whom were not able to break 80-point barrier, have been earning points.

At this weekend’s Coronation Trophy, leading the hunt for points and the trophy will be Limuru Country’s John Karichu whose lead has been reduced to only four points by Golf Park’s Tony Omuli.

Karichu performed poorly in the Trans Nzoia Open two weeks ago, where he shot 78, 82, and 79 to finish in 10th place. He has so far scored 104.75 points against Omuli’s 100.25 points.

Also seeking the Coronation title besides the two, will be Vet Lab’s Robinson Owiti who scored a four-shot victory in  the Trans Nzoia Open to move to third place in the Goty ranking with 81.63 points.

The Nakuru-bound players also include Nelson Simwa from Vet Lab, Abraham Abdullai (Great Rift Valley Resort, Naivasha), Kiambu’s Steve Karanja, Njoro’s Alfred Nandwa and Royal Nairobi’s Jonathan Chebukati. The format is 54-hole strokeplay with two rounds tomorrow followed by the third and final on Sunday. nike air max pas cher nike air max pas cher