By ENOCK NGOME

Patrick Matindi fired to the top of the 2010/2011 Safaricom Business Golf challenge 5th round at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club over the weekend after beating a large field of seasoned golfers drawn from Nakuru, Naivasha Sports Club, Gilgil Golf Club, Njoro Country Club and the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort to qualify for a fully paid trip grand finale at Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort,
Mombasa on April 28th next year.

Playing off handicap 18, the home player posted an amazing 39 stable ford points after combining 21 and 18 on front and back nine respectively for the victory.

Patrick started off the uphill par 4-first hole on a low note with a double bogey, a bogey on the par 4-second hole, but recovered with four impressive pars on par 4-third hole, par 3-fourth, par 4-fifth and par 4-sixth hole respectively.

Patrick overplayed three successful disastrous bogeys on the par 4-seventh hole, par 4-eigth and par 5-ninth hole to net 21 points on his front nine.

The 37 years old Patrick set off the back nine scratching the par 4-10th hole, three back to back bogeys on par 4-11th,the notorious par 4-12th hole marred with two down and uphill depressions, and on par 5-13th hole.

A par on hole fourteen lifted Patrick but it was a birdie at the par 3-fifteenth hole which spiced up his impressive 18 points on outward nine which got cut off by a scratch on par 5-sixteenth hole, a dropped shot  on seventeenth and a par on par 5-eighteenth.

“I opted for irons on all my tee shots which kept all my balls on the fairway and thus I played easy and won. Though the green keeper made some greens difficult and fast which I think I would have made a better score.” said Patrick after receiving a trophy and ticket for the grand finale in Mombasa by Safaricom Business representative Peter Angatia.

Playing off handicap 26 home player Lady Miriam Wanjiku shot the second best for the day and the best in ladies category with an impressive 36 stable ford points after combining 18 on inward and a repeat on outward nine to also qualify for a fully sponsored Safaricom Business Golf Challenge Grand Finale at Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort in Mombasa.

Wanjiku played an easy game with double bogeys on 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th holes on her front nine dropped three shots on 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th holes for a convincing 18.

Her back nine was disastrous with double bogeys on 10th and 11th holes, a par on 12th, two bogeys on 13th and 14th respectively.
She dropped two shots each on 15th and 16th holes, scratched on 17th before dropping a shot on 18th hole for an inward repeat of 18 points to hit second best for the day wit 36 stable ford points.

Home club, 17 years old Viren Gudka won the junior category with 36 stable ford points after combining 18-18 on inward and outward nine respectively.Gudka took home a brand new Nokia C3 and Ksh5, 000 worth of airtime courtesy of Safaricom.

Longest drive ladies prize went to home player handicap 10, Josephine Kaime while Longest Drive men prize went to Anthony Waititu.They took home a Nokia Mobile phone and credit worth ksh.5, 000 each.

Nearest to the pin prize went to Zack Ireri from the same club who received gifts courtesy of Safaricom.2-clubs winner went to Simon Mwangi and Theresa Frezer who each received 9 golf balls.

Alongside the Challenge Safaricom had earlier during the week sponsored a caddie’s competition in the same club which was won by the club’s caddie master Peter Warui on 74 gross who received a blackberry phone.

The golf challenge resumes next month at  Nairobi’s Vet Lab on 8th of October, Kitale Golf club on 15th October which will attract golfers from Eldoret club and on 29th at Kericho Golf club which will combine golfers from Nandi bears all eying the grand finale. michael kors tasche michael kors tasche

By KGG CORRESPONDENT

Members of the Kenya Railway Golf Club made history this weekend when they became the first amateur golfers to compete in the internationally recognized Four-Ball Better Ball format.

The format, a competition standard in the Africa Amateur Golf Championship, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup, has been adapted for the second season of the Tusker Malt Golf Carnival Championship which will be played across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda from September 2011 to April 2012.

Former Railways Captain Nthiomi Majau playing off a handicap-12 partned with Walter Onyino, off  handicap-17 to post scores of 22 points on their first nine and 25 points on the back nine for an impressive 47 points stable ford points.

Whilst delivering the winner’s speech, Majau welcomed Tusker Malt back to golf and to Railway Golf Club.

“The Carnival was last played in 2009, and it is a competition that has been greatly missed,” Majau said. “Once more congratulations to the Tusker Malt team for coming up with a good and interesting format of play, a break from the norm.”

The team of Andrew Kimani, handicap-9 and Eric Njoroge, handicap-14, posted 22 points on both the opening and closing nines for a total of 44 points beating the team of James Muigai, handicap-5 and George Gichuki, handicap-13 and the team of Norbert Wabwire, handicap-9 and Frank Ombura, handicap-14 on count back. Commenting on the new format, Tusker’s Wanyi Mwaura said it was in line with the brand’s values.

“The Four-Ball Better-Ball format is about partnership and bonding with your team-mate, this are the qualities that the brand aims to foster, the comradership so unique to the game of golf,” Mwaura said. “The Carnival continues to set the pace in terms of introducing new formats of play to amateur golf, with the underlying principle being the fostering of team work, bonding and fun.”

The Tusker Malt Golf Carnival now moves to the Machakos Golf Club before heading North to the Thika Sports Club.

“We are still confirming our calendar, it is a big calendar, it will eventually include 40 golf clubs across East Africa and host over 10,000 golfers drawn from over 51 golf clubs in the markets where Tusker Malt is enjoyed,” Mwaura added. “Although the golf clubs across East Africa are diverse, the golfers can all enjoy the same quality Tusker Malt Lager.” canada goose jacke damen canada goose jacke damen