Big field for Kabete Ladies Open

Fresh from the successful Royal Ladies Invitation, Kenya’s leading lady golfers are heading to the long and tough playing Vet Lab Sports Club course this weekend, for the annual Kabete Ladies Open, one of the top events in the ladies golf calendar.

At least 133 ladies drawn from various clubs in the country were drawn in the weekend event being sponsored by Miliki Space, Seense of Africa, EABL, Crown Paints, Farmers’s Choice and friends of the lady captain. And leading the field will be the Kenya Ladies Golf Union chairman Sarah Hoare who teamed up with former Vet Lab lady captain Rachel Ndei and another Vet Lab player Mercy Nyanchama, to win the ladies Invitation at Royal.

This weekend’s tournament is however being played in the stroke play or medal format hence it will be a battle of the single figure handicap golfers such as Nyanchama, Channelle Wangari, both Vet Lab players, Ashley Awuor from Rose Naliaka’s Africa Golf Program, and Kiambu’s Joyce Wanjiru. 

The ladies play in the morning with the men’s subsidiary event which has also attracted an impressive field set to tee off from 12 noon.

At Royal Nairobi Golf Club, the Rotary Club of Milimani which was charted way back in June 1988, will host its annual charity event on Friday where over 150 players are drawn to battle it out for a number of prizes, but also raise funds for the Rotary Club’s various charity projects.

The Rotary Club has over the years undertaken various projects from education, workshops to supporting children’s homes and communities by supplying food, clothing, beddings, books, cooking materials, water tanks and digging of boreholes among many other projects.

However since the late 1990s, the club decided to concentrate on scholarships by sponsoring students from needy and poor back ground. This has seen over 60 students go through the programme to date.

Initial students went through elementary and high school though through sponsorship support, the club has been able to support students all the way to higher training institutions and universities.

The club’s captain Sammy Itemere says currently there are 11 students, nine in high school and two in university. They are financed by way of fundraising initiative such as the golf tournament and contributions from friends. “We are grateful to those who have entered their names to play in Friday’s event, their efforts will go a long way in supporting these needy students’’ said Itemere.

At the nine-hole Machakos Golf Club course, over 150 players drawn from various places and as far as Mombasa and Nyali Golf Club, will be hosted by Kenya Ports Authority during its annual corporate golf tournament which is usually the first among three golf events held in Machakos, Nairobi and Mombasa.

Among those drawn include Kenya Golf Union chairman Ben Omuodo who besides his home club of Royal, is also a member at Machakos. He is drawn along with Royal’s David Komen and former Royal chairman Okeyo Mark Okeyo.

As usual an array of prizes will be at stake during the day, where going for the top prize among the members will be some of the club’s leading golfers such as James Ndunda, Tim Ruhiu, and Jackson Nzioki among others.

Away in Eldoret, Kenya Seed Company is hosting its first major event since activities were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This weekend’s tournament has attracted a field of 100 players who will be battling it out for some impressive prizes.