KAGC Series concludes at Nyali

The 2021 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series, formerly the Golfer of The year (GOTY) amateur golf series, comes to a close this weekend, with the 54-hole Nyali Open Golf tournament at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club Course in mainland North.

This is the event which will determine who becomes the country’s leading amateur golfer, and it comes after a marathon 22 events series held at Sigona, Nyeri, Muthaiga (1), Nakuru (1), Limuru (2), Karen, Njoro, Windsor, Vet Lab, Kitale, Kericho, Thika, Nandi Bears, Nakuru (2), Mombasa, Eldoret, Kakamega, Railway, Nyanza, and Royal Nairobi.

Surprisingly though this weekend’s grand finale at Nyali has only attracted 65 players playing off handicap 16 and below. The field includes two of the top amateurs Adel Balala who is at home in Nyali, and Kiambu Golf Club’s Michael Karanga, a grandson of senior pro Michael Karanga Mwaura.

The two have been engaged in a neck-to-neck battle for the slots in next year’s Magical Kenya Open where Balala has however already qualified by virtue of having won the Kenya Amateur Stroke Play championship in Nakuru.

The other slot was grabbed by Kenya Railway Golf Club’s John Lejirmah after winning the Match Play Championship at Muthaiga. So it is Karanga who needs a victory at Nyali, more than anyone else, to dislodge Balala from top.

Also drawn is Uganda’s Joseph Cwinyaai who two weeks ago beat defending champion John Lejirmah, to claim the Uganda Open Amateur Championship title.

Other top amateurs include Dennis Maara of Limuru, Nandi Bears Club’s Nelson Koech and former match play champion Isaac Makokha. The first round in the event being sponsored by Safaricom gets under way at 7am, followed by the second round in the afternoon. The third and final round will take place on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Muthaiga Golf Club hosts the second NCBA junior golf series whose first round was held Thursday. A field of 107 was drawn in the event being organised by NCBA and the Uskids Golf. The event offers the youngsters a chance to qualify for other U.S. Kids Golf Major Championships including Regional, International, and World or World Teen Championships.

Friday’s event follows the first tournament held in August at Karen Country Club where the winning golfers got a chance to play at the Rome Classic in October, with others set to play in the Big 5 tournament in South Africa next April.

The junior event comes on the heel of the NCBA Golf Series’ Grand Finale held last week at Karen Country Club, where Kericho-based Tobias Messo was crowned the tournament’s overall winner beating out over 3,000 players who participated in the Series. At the Grand finale, junior Winston Kimani from Thika Sports Club had an impressive showing landing in the men’s winner position and 12-year-old Nathan Mwangi from Karen Country Club claiming the men’s runner up spot.

Earlier this year, NCBA signed a multi-year partnership with Junior Golf Foundation “JGF” and other corporate partners to support the development of young golf talent in the country to help them reach previously unimaginable heights in the game.

Speaking ahead of the junior tournament, NCBA Group Managing Director, John Gachora said that the junior tournament’s inclusion in the Series was a deliberate move to give juniors a chance to express their talents.

"We are delighted to be hosting the second NCBA Junior Tournament under the umbrella of the NCBA Golf Series for this year in conjunction with our partner, U.S. Kids Golf Foundation. This Series affirms our commitment towards the development of the sport in the country. By giving these junior golfers a chance to play and compete at an early age we aim to help them become better professionals and to evolve into the future stars of the sport, not just locally but globally," he said.

Elsewhere, Vet Lab Sports Club Vice Chairman Mary Maingi hosts the Vice Chairman’s Putter from Friday with a big field of 200 players expected to battle it out for the top honours.

This is the second year Mary Maingi who has managed to put together a host of sponsors such as UAP Old Mutual, Laser properties, ICEA Lion, ABSA, KQ, Advatech, Mayfair Insurance, KenGen, Posta, NCBA Bank and East Africa Portland, is hosting the event as she completes her two-year term of office.

And 6.30am is the first tee off for Friday’s first round followed by the afternoon tee off at 11.10am. Over a dozen prizes await those who will be able to conquer the long and tough playing course.