LEADING FROM FRONT: Kenya national women golf team captain Christina Andersen follows his tee at a past event.

By KGG CORRESPONDENT

The national ladies golf team successfully defended the G&P trophy on Wednesday after they convingly won the triangular series with a conving total of 47 points, 14 point ahead of Zimbabwe at the Chainama Hills Golf club in Lusaka, Zambia.

Kenya had never won the event away from home, and had previously won it only four times since the Ladies Golf Test Series was introduced in 1969. This year’s team was managed by the Kenya Ladies Golf Union chairperson, Eunice Mpenda, who was also the winning captain in 2007 in Nairobi.

In the final test match, Kenya managed 9 points from the morning foursomes and afternoon singles. Zimbabwe, who had 15 points before Wednesday’s final rounds got 9 points from the foursomes against Zambia’s one point, and a similar score in the afternoon from the singles matches.

The Kenyans got eight points from the morning foursome. Pairings changed and top seed Kitale’s Bhavi Shah partnered with Muthaiga’s Jane Njoroge to beat Zambia’s Hilda Edwards Tina Nawa 2up but lost to Zimbabwe’s Minter and Alfazema 4/3.

Muthaiga’s Florence Maina patnered with 13-year-old Naomi Wafula of Naliaka Golf Academy and won both their foursomes against Zambia, 6/4 and Zimbabwe 2/1. Muthaiga golfer and the team’s captain, Christina Andersen and Royal Nairobi’s Sarah
Hoare beat Zambia 2/1 and lost to Zimbabwe 2up.

But it was from the six singles matches that Kenya held their own, winning eight matches, halving three, with one loss and a magnificent total of 19 points. The final points tally saw Kenya garner 47 points, while Zimbabwe had 33 points and Zambia had 28 points.

The team is set to remain in Zambia and play at the Zambian Ladies Open Strokeplay championships this weekend before returning on Monday afternoon.

The team members are: Christina Engell Andersen (Captain & Muthaiga golf club); Sarah Hoare (Royal Nairobi); Florence Maina (Muthaiga); Jane Njoroge (Muthaiga); Mwongeli Nzioka (Limuru/Machakos); Bhavi Shah (Kitale); Naomi Wafula (Golf Park) and KLGU Chairman Eunice Mpenda (manager) cgdamenoutlet cgdamenoutlet

SWING: A lady golfer in action during a recent event at the Karen Golf and Country Club.

By KGG CORRESPONDENT

The national ladies golf team have took a single point lead, ahead of hosts Zambia after the opening foursomes and singles matches at the ongoing Gilberson and Page Trophy in Lusaka, Zambia.

Kenya has 20 points, a shot ahead of Zambia (19 points) and five shots ahead of Zimbabwe  (15 points).

In the morning foursomes, Kenya got six points from the second seed pair of Florence Maina and 13-year-old Naomi Wafula, who won their matches against Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The third pair of Bhavi Shah and Mwongeli Nzoika beat Zimbabwe but lost to Zambia.  Team captain Christina Andersen, paired with Jane Njoroge but lost both their matches 3/1 to Zambia and 3/2 to Zimbabwe.

Going into the afternoon singles, Zambia was one shot ahead of Kenya with seven points, and Zimbabwe had five points.  With a maximum of 24 points to be won by any team in the Singles, there was all to play for and the Kenyans had mixed results winning 14 points.

Defending champions Kenya, who won this trophy when it was last played four years ago, are up against home advantage. Zambia held on to win a total of 12 points, six each from Kenya and Zimbabwe in the Singles played at the Lusaka Golf Club, with Zimbabwe collecting 10 points, four from Kenya and six from Zambia.

The youngest team member, Naomi Wafula won both her matches beating Nan Kennedy of Zambia 8/7 and Zimbabwe’s Loice Chingono 3/1.  Kenya’s top seed and Pretoria-based Bhavi Shah beat the Zambian Devanshi Naik 3/2 but lost to Claire Minter of Zimbabwe 4/3.  Jane Njoroge beat Zimbabwe’s Aulia Alfazema and halved with Kaela Mulenga of Zambia, whilst her Muthaiga club teammate, Florence Maina also beat Zimbabwe’s Margie Brandt 4/2 but lost to Tina Mawa of Zambia in a close match, 1up.

In other results, Christina Andersen beat Zimbabwe’s Estralita Zerf  5/4 but lost to Zambia’s Hilda Edwards 5/3, whilst Royal Nairobi’s Sarah Hoare halved against Zambia but lost to Zimbabwe 5/3.

The second test match will be played at Chainama Hills Golf Club on Wednesday, June 1.  The team will play in the Zambian Ladies Open championships at the weekend before returning home on Monday 6 June.

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