NCBA Group Director for Asset Finance Lennox Mugambi in action at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club during a past event.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Vet Lab Sports Club will this weekend play host to the latest leg of the 2022 NCBA Golf Series.

The event, which marks the twelfth leg of the series calendar, following the postponement of the Tanzania tournament, teed off early this year and has attracted more than 1600 amateur golfers. The golfers will swing into action early in the morning with the first group expected to tee off at 7:00 am.

The golfers will compete for slots to play at the series’ Grand Finale to be played at Muthaiga Golf Club in December. Top finishers at the final event will win an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa’s Fancourt Country Club.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said:

“We are delighted to be heading back to VetLab Sports Club for the fourteenth event under the 2022 NCBA Golf Series. The series has been a success so far looking at the great number of participants that continue to participate in the tournaments. We are therefore proud of the progress we have made and hope it continues throughout the rest of the year,” said Gachora.

“This tournament has provided an opportunity for golfers around the country to showcase their talents as it has also offered us the chance to interact with our clients. We are also elated to be offering the lucky golfers a chance to visit and play at the famed and iconic Fancourt Golf Course in South Africa. As we head to VetLab, therefore, we look forward to another amazing golf outing,” he added.

The event follows the eleventh leg that was played at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club where home player Lucy Kisia carded a round of 42 points to emerge the champion of Division One category, ahead of Fridah Shiroya (handicap 20) who carded 40 points to claim the runner-up position.

In the Division Two category, handicap 24 Fred Obwora’s 40 points were enough to earn him the top honors, edging out Derick Owuor (handicap 24) by a solitary point.

In the third division, Simaloi Mbeya playing off handicap 44 was the champion having carded a round of 43 points. He beat handicap 47 Kalee Maleli who posted 41 points to emerge second.

Muthaiga’s Njoroge Kibugu (right) receives the Karen Challenge winners’ prize from KGU chairman Njani Ndiritu.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Muthaiga’s Njoroge Kibugu is the winner of this year’s Karen Challenge after he resisted stiff challenge from Nyali’s Adel Balala to reign supreme in the three-round event at the par 72 Karen Country Club course.
Playing off handicap -1, Kibugi who was the only Kenyan golfer to make the cut during this year’s Kenya Open Golf Championships in March, amassed a total gross of 211 (72, 72, 67) to rule the roost, while Balala playing off handicap -2 came a close second on 212 gross (74, 72, 66).
Sigona’s Taimur Malik playing off handicap -1 settled for the third prize on 218 gross (72, 74, 72, while handicap 1 national team captain Dennis Maara of Limuru Country Club was fourth on 220 gross (72, 71, 77) and Michael Alunga playing off scratch was fifth in the three-rounds competition on 222 gross (74, 73, 75).
Vet Lab’s Isaac Makhoha who won a bronze medal at the Deaflympics Games in Brazil, finished sixth on 225 gross (77, 75, 73).