A golfer follows his tee during the third leg of the Johnnie Walker Golf Series held at Windsor Country Club

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The team of John Kashangaki, Charles Kiprono, Sanjay Archya and Mayak Amin carded a combined score of 107 points to be crowned the overall winner of the third leg of the Johnnie Walker Golf Series held on Saturday at Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club.

Claiming second position was the team of Karim Charania, Ronan Smith, Stergios and Maria Zeller who managed a combined score of 97 points, count-back, fending off the challenge from the team of Annel Rajay, Naveel Sheikh, Frank C, and Lizzele who combined for a score of 97 points to seal the second runners-up position.

Meanwhile, John Kashangaki carded 39 points to emerge the winner in the Men’s Category beating fellow team player Charles Kiprono who also posted 36 points to claim the second position.

In the Ladies Category, Maria Torraddo, posted 36 points to claim the top honours ahead of Maria Aloo who scored 32 points to emerge second.

From Left – Overall Winners John Kashangaki, Mayank Amin, Charles Kiprono, Sanjay Archyra.

Claiming top positions in the Nines were Kamau Nyabwengi who scored 24 points in the first nine, while Avnish Bhandari scored 20 points in the second nine to emerge the star.

In the Longest Drive contest, Riz Charania and Chrissie Adams emerged respective winners in the Men’s and Ladies categories.

The event attracted a field of 150 players who braved the chilly weather conditions to battle it out for the qualifying positions. The top three teams now join the list of teams to play in the next round of the Series – Eagles Round, as they aim to make the cut to play in the Series’ Grand Finale where a fully paid-up trip to the iconic Gleneagles Golf Course in Scotland will be up for grabs.

Speaking during the event, John Kashangaki expressed his excitement having scooped the Men’s Category prize as well as the overall winner’s honours.

“I am delighted to have emerged the winner in the Men’s category as well as emerging the overall winner together with my teammates. It was a good day and I hope that the next round will be even better. The series has given us players a great opportunity to better our skills and competitiveness and we are grateful to Johnnie Walker for this opportunity,” said Kashangaki.

Commenting on the event, Josephine Katambo, Marketing Manager, Spirits at Kenya Breweries Limited said that the Series is aimed at giving many players a chance to express their skills and support development of the sport in the country.

“Golf, like any other sport, requires one to practise and compete regularly for one to be good at it. We therefore started this series with the aim to give as many golfers as possible a chance to play and compete regularly in order to better their skills and competitiveness. We are happy that so far we have had participation of over 300 players from the first three legs of the series. It shows that the series has been well received and we hope to reach even more golfers in the country and offer them a chance to play,” she said.

She added: “KBL believes in the power of sports as an avenue for our audiences to interact intimately with our brands. This is because sport is an affirmation of societal values, with the ability to bring communities together. Golf in particular is a sport that is associated with very important life values such as honesty and respect for one another, and these are values also associated with the Johnnie Walker brand which we seek to promote,” she added.

Following the Windsor event, attention now turns to Nakuru Golf Club for the next leg of the series dubbed ‘Road to Gleneagles.’ on 18^th December 2021.

Justus Madoya after winning the Uganda Open.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Great Rift Valley Golf Resort based Justus Madoya, is the new Tusker Malt Uganda Open Golf Champion. Madoya who re-captured his lead during Friday’s third round, on Saturday completed a four rounds total of 13 under par 271 to win his first major championship, at the par 71 Entebbe Golf Club course.

It was however a close encounter with senior pro Dismas Indiza and round two leader Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe.

“I usually focus more on my game and the course than those I am playing with’’ said Madoya after posting one over par 72 in the closing round which included two bogeys at the front nine and three at the back nine with an eagle at the long par five-seventh and two birdies14th and 15^th holes.

“I am extremely happy winning this event with a better score than the Entebbe Open three years ago where I won with eight under par. The few events we played at Vet Lab and Thika just before we came to Uganda real helped me to measure my form,” he said.

“”However the small put I missed at the 12^th made realize that I could easily loose the event, that is what made me work hard for the two birdies at the back nine’’ said Madoya who won Ugsh 22.5 million, and who won by five shots from Dismas Indiza who, like Madoya, shot one over par 72 for a total of eight under par 278.

“The pin positions were tough today and that tells why there few under par scores in this final round. All the same I am very happy finishing second against such a strong field of young players’’ said Indiza who bogeyed the second hole though he recovered one at the fourth only to drop a shot at the sixth.

“I must admit that this course is currently in an excellent condition than I have seen it before. It offered one a chance to score low if one stays on course’’ said Indiza who finished with two back to back bogeys.

Meanwhile the Zimbabwean Robson Chinhoi posted two over par 73 for an all rounds total of six under par 278. He blamed poor putting in the final round particularly at the back nine. “I was striking the ball fairly well and gave myself many chances of picking up birdies but, did not  putt well” said Chinhoi who started with a birdie at the first nine though he made a double at the par three-10^th  and later bogeyed the 15^th and 17^th.

A total of 96 payers had entered in the East Africa Breweries (Tusker Malit) sponsored event though only 33 survived the second round cut to continue with the tournament which is part of the Safari Tour.

The final Leader board:

1. Justus Madoya (Ken) 65, 68, 66, 72= 271

2. Dismas Indiza (Ken) 69, 69, 66, 72= 276

3. Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 68, 6473, 73= 278

4. Ronald Rugumayo (Ug) 72, 68, 66, 73= 279

5. Visitor Mapwanya (Zim) 67, 69, 70, 75= 281

6. Sydney Wemba (Zam) 74, 68, 72, 69= 283

7. Samuel Njoroge (Ken) 71, 74, 74, 65= 284

8. Erick Ooko (Ken) 72, 73, 70, 71=286

9. Paul Chidale (Maw) 72, 71, 72, 72= 287

9. Silver Opio (Ug) 70, 71, 74, 72= 287

9. Deo Akope (Ug) 72, 68, 71, 76= 287