I can take on pros: Adel Balala

Newly crowned Kenya Amateur Stroke Play champion Adel Balala goes hunting for a fifth successive national golf title, as he leads a field of 64 players to his home town of Mombasa, where the century old Mombasa Golf Club course host the annual Coast Open golf championship for the Barry Cup.

Balala, a member of Nyali Golf and Country Club currently playing off plus four handicap, has been in an amazing top form over the past two months.

This was clear during last weekend’s amateur championship at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course where the long hitting Balala claimed the title with an impressive seven under par score.

He beat among others, top rated Michael Karanga of Kiambu, and the Kenya Amateur Match Play champion John Lejirmah of Kenya Railway Golf Club who finished third.

That victory earned Balala a place in the 2022 Magical Kenya Open to be held at Muthaiga next March.

“Right now I am in my best form and I can take on any player including the professionals. I have been preparing for this season because I wanted to qualify for the Kenya Open’’ said Balala in Nakuru.

Besides the remaining Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series, Balala, a son of Kenya Golf Union Coast region representative Taufiq Balala, would like to try travel to Uganda for this year’s Uganda Open.

For this weekend’s tourney, which has received support from KPA, ABSA, Empire Kenya, Kericho Gold, and Akina and Friends of the Captain, the 23-year-old Balala will be facing Kenya Amateur Match Play Champion Lejirmah in the absence of Michael Karanga who decided to give this weekend’s Coast Open a miss in order to attend the UsKids Golf coaching training to be launched this Sunday at Muthaiga.

However, Limuru Country Club’s Dennis Maara, Royal Nairobi’s Kevin Juma and Coast based Gurbux Singh, Henry Kamau, and William Kaguta are there to try and clinch the 100 years old Barry Cup.

Two brand new cars are part of the goodies on offer at the  Chairman’s Prize this weekend at Muthaiga Golf Club.

The event will be hosted by the club chairman Ronald Meru, one of the youngest members to have been elected to the post.

The two cars, courtesy of Windsor Motors and Hyundai Caetano Kenya, will certainly be the main attractions of the week-long prize event that started with the caddies and staff tournament on Monday.

Meru has also invited the top 10 pros in the Safari Tour Order of Merit and Muthaiga-based pros to battle it out in a two-day affair. The first round was played on Tuesday with the final action held on Thursday.