Junior golfer Alvin Kaisha taking a swing at the NCBA Golf Series at Muthaiga Golf Club.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The NCBA Golf Series is set to tee off at the prestigious Karen Country Club this Saturday, marking the 7th leg of the series.

The event has attracted a field of over 200 golfers, all vying for coveted slots in the Grand Finale scheduled to take place later this year.

The par-72 Karen course is renowned for its beautifully maintained course, which offers both a test of skill and a scenic experience for golfers.

The top performers of the tournament will secure their slots at the Series 2024 Grand Finale and they will include the Division 1 Male and Female Winners, Division 2 Male and Female Winners, the Overall Winner of Division 3, and the top performer in the Junior category.

Speaking ahead of the event, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora emphasized the importance of the series in promoting golf development and growth in Kenya. “We are thrilled to be returning to Karen Country Club for the seventh edition of the NCBA Golf Series. This event has grown tremendously over the years, and it is gratifying to see such a high level of enthusiasm and participation from the golfing community. Karen Country Club has always provided us with an exceptional venue, and we look forward to another fantastic tournament.”

He continued, “The NCBA Golf Series is an integral part of our commitment to supporting sports and community development. Through these tournaments, we aim to nurture talent and elevate the standard of golf in our region. We believe in creating opportunities for golfers of all levels to compete and improve their skills, and we are proud to be a part of this journey.”

The tournament follows the successful sixth edition held at Muthaiga Golf Club a fortnight ago, which saw a similarly strong turnout of over 200 golfers. Isaac Matubi showcased exceptional skills, securing victory in Division One category with an impressive 36 stableford points.

The Division Two Category, for golfers with handicaps between 13 and 24, saw Yogendra Nandha clinch the men’s title, while Sajni Shah’s 40 stableford points earned her victory in the ladies’ division.

In Division Three, which featured golfers with handicaps of 24 and above, Rebecca Juma emerged as the champion after carding a round of 33.

Among the juniors, Alvin Kaisha, playing off handicap 15, stood out with an impressive 35 points, claiming the top spot.

Meanwhile, the 2nd edition of the NCBA Ruiru Open is all set to tee off this weekend, from the 14th to the 16th of June 2024 at the par-73 Ruiru Golf course.

Sponsored by NCBA, the event has attracted a field of 112 top amateur players who will be vying for top honors. They include 7 talented ladies Joyce Wanjiru, Bianca Ngecu , Briana Ngecu, Diana Mbuba, Kelly Gachaga, Esther Chumo and Sandra Kagana from Burundi

With a substantial prize kitty of Ksh500,000 up for grabs, the competition is expected to be fierce, with the top performer slated to walk away with Ksh.150,000.

Defending champion Adel Balala will not be participating in this year’s event. Another notable absence will be Mike Karanga, currently away in Ireland for the Amateur Championship scheduled from the 17th to the 22nd of June 2024.

The spotlight, however, falls on Elvis Muigua from Kiambu Golf Club, who currently holds the number one spot in the KAGC ranking system with an impressive 356.1 points. Muigua is touted as the player to watch during this weekend’s tournament, with fans eager to witness his exceptional skills on the course.

This edition of the NCBA Ruiru Open has attracted participants not only from Kenya but also from neighboring countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, adding an international flavor to the competition.

Chris Kinuthia, Tournament Director and Vice Chairman of the Kenya Golf Union expressed gratitude towards NCBA for their steadfast support in nurturing golf talent across the country. “I would like to express our gratitude to NCBA for their continued support in nurturing golf talent across our country. Their commitment is truly commendable. I would also like to extend appreciation to Ruiru Sports Club for graciously providing their prestigious course for the three days, allowing our elite players to showcase their remarkable skills.”

The NCBA Ruiru Open holds significance beyond just the competition, as it qualifies for World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and contributes to the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) Ranking, further solidifying its importance in the golfing calendar.

Girls 9-10 Years winners

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Junior Golf Foundation – Kenya has picked a team of 22 junior golfers that go to camp next week to start training for upcoming international competitions.

The 12 boys and 10 girls have been identified for the provisional national squad based on their performance throughout the year. JGF trustee Vincent Mukiri says the order of merit was crucial in identifying the top players.

“From the provisional squad, we will have a team that can represent Kenya in the various junior competitions and some of these juniors can compete at select seniors’ competitions. We already know who we can consider instead of just trying to get ready when the competition is about to begin,” he explained.

In the last tournament of the NCBA US Kids Local Tour at the Muthaiga Golf Club, four junior players played level par or under, showing how much the game has improved among the juniors.

The toast of the tournament was Kanana Muthomi who won the girls 11-12 years old category with a score of three under par 69. Kanana had a rough first nine with only one birdie and three bogeys. But in the second nine, she was flawless, picking three birdies and an eagle for a remarkable five under par in those nine holes.

“My putts weren’t sinking in the first nine and I made a lot of mistakes. But in the second nine, my course management and putting improved and I played some good golf,” she said.

Aryan Patel won the boys six and under category with a score of -1. Three other players, Maahir Patel in the boys 13-14 years category, Ivan Ng’eno in the boys 8 years category, and Ashley Gachora in the girls 9-10 years category all played level par.

“It was a game of crying and happiness. I had a bad double bogey at hole number 15 and I got very very angry, I think my mind was not in the game in that hole. But everything just turned around in the last hole where I got an eagle,” said a beaming Ashley.

Following the success of the US Kids tournament, NCBA now plans to spread the game to the kids who ordinarily would not have access to the sport or have no opportunity to pick up the sport.

“When we started this journey, it was about the belief that we must give back to the community which we are in, and one of our ways of giving is to develop these junior golfers for the future development of golf for Kenyans. We have seen about 3000 kids playing across the country and now calling themselves golfers,” said NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora.

NCBA in partnership with JGF will conduct golf clinics to attract more kids to play golf. ICEA Lion who also joined in as a partner for the Junior Golf Foundation are so far impressed with the work put in to develop the junior golfers.

“The juniors are playing very mature golf. Last year we incorporated the amateur golfers with the junior golfers at our grand finale in Nyali and one of the winners was a junior golfer. This is where the future is and with two juniors getting scholarships, this takes our brand to a global level,” said Diana Nyakio of ICEA Lion Business Development.

At least 186 kids played at the tournament in Muthaiga on Sunday.