Michael Karanga in action at the weekend.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club trounced Ebill Omollo of VetLab Sports Club 5 and 3 to be crowned the champion of the 101^st edition of the NCBA Bank-sponsored Kenya Amateur Matchplay at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort at the weekend.

The win is a continuation of Karanga’s dominance in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series and places him at the top of the ranking with 1015 points. Courtesy of the win, he received Sh 120,000 as the prize money and got a ticket to the 2024 Magical Kenya Open (MKO).

Ebill Omollo of VetLab Sports Club received Sh 72,000 for finishing as the runner-up while Josphat Rono finished third after Muthaiga Golf Club’s Taimur Malik gave him a walkover.

Karanga thanked the members of Kiambu and Ndumberi clubs for the support granted to him and promised to participate and win in more tournaments, including the upcoming Malindi Open and the Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship in August.

Kenya Golf Union Chairman (KGU), Philip Ochola congratulated Karanga for the win and urged him to prepare adequately for the Magical Kenya Open to be held in seven months’ time. He further appreciated corporate sponsors including NCBA Bank, Betika, Windsor Motors, BetLion, Maridady Motors, and Naivas & Kikwetu Homes who have supported the tournaments and ensured the players get to play.

“I want to especially thank George Mburu and Reagan Kibugi who have supported Michael Karanga and a host of players in this event. I encourage all corporates and people of goodwill to support our players not only in participating in the local events but also in the international ones. I also appreciate the role that is played by the caddies. We are planning to engage the caddies towards having a structured approach to the management of their affairs and tournaments,” he said.

The Chairman further mentioned that the union is key to inclusivity and is organizing a Golf for Disabled (G4D) tournament later in the year to encourage individuals with special needs to take up the game of golf. “We had a joint consultative meeting on Friday, July 28 with all the golf bodies in the country and we are working towards a one golf strategy,” he said.

The KAGC Series takes a break this weekend and resumes on August 11-13 for the second edition of the Malindi Open “Vasco Da Gama Cup” at Malindi Golf & Country Club.

Francis Kioni (centre) is awarded after winning the DTB “Bank with Us” Golf Tournament at Nakuru Golf Club.

By AMANDA DAMARIS AND DANIELLA APIYO

The Nakuru-based player Francis Kioni led from the front to win the third leg of the DTB “Bank with Us” Golf Tournament held at the scenic par 73 Nakuru Golf Club, in Nakuru County.

Playing off handicap 15, the home player overcame chilly morning weather and tough course conditions to beat his closest challenger Patrick Mutinda on the countback to claim the overall title courtesy of an impressive 38 points. He carded 16 points on the front nine and 22 on the back nine.

“I had an amazing time on the course despite the tough condition of the course, especially on the back nine where I managed to achieve 2 birdies and several pars to claim the victory. It was refreshing to win against such a large field. I commend DTB for their good work and for ensuring this event was successful. I look forward to participating in many more of their upcoming tournaments,” said Francis Kioni

In the Ladies’ category, taking the top spot was the club’s Lady Captain, Linda Munyao, who posted 36 points, ahead of Ann Nduati with 33 points. The Gross category title was claimed by Joh Mburu, playing off a handicap of 7, after posting 31 points, with 13 points on the front nine and 18 points on the back nine.

Posting the best first nine score was Anne Nduati on 20 points, while the best second nine award was claimed by Dr. Amos Otara on 21 points. In the subsidiary section, the DTB staff winner title was claimed by Dr. Kennedy Nyakomitta with the Guest award going to Njoro-based player after garnering 34 points.

The award for the longest drive in the men and women categories went to John Mbagi and Susan Ikua respectively. The nearest to the pin award went to Stephen Kihumba.

Meanwhile, in the Junior category, Victor Sila of Nakuru carded a total of 33 points to win the category ahead of his closest challenger M. Chadha from Kericho on 31 points.

Speaking during the prize-giving ceremony, DTB’s Director of Sales, Dr. Kennedy Nyakomitta commended Nakuru Golf Club’s leadership for allowing them to host their third leg at the venue, which gave them an opportunity to interact and connect with their customers from the region.

“We at DTB greatly value the Nakuru Golf Club. I would like to express my gratitude to its leadership for graciously hosting us. The tournament has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to engage and connect with our customers, both from Nakuru and other parts of the Rift Valley region. We commit to collaborate closely for the advancement and growth of the golf game in Kenya,” said Dr. Nyakomitta.

The weekend’s competition was this year’s third DTB “Bank with Us” golf tournament after the Bank successfully held the second leg three weeks ago in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.

The third leg of the DTB ‘Bank with Us’ Golf Tournament drew a total field of 155 golfers from the region and its environs, including Naivasha, Kericho, Njoro, Eldoret, Nandi, Kitale, and as far as Nairobi, Kiambu, Thika, Kisumu, Kisii, and Kakamega.

The DTB “Bank with Us” golf tournament aims to grow the sport as well as boost businesses by bringing services closer to customers and offering them great networking opportunities.