KAGC series heads to Nakuru

The hunt for points in the 2021 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series resumes this weekend with the 54-hole Coronation Cup and Bendor trophy at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course in Nakuru County.

This is the first Kenya Golf Union (KGU) sanctioned tournament since the resumption golfing activities in the country.

Open to golfers of handicap 15 and below, the Coronation Cup, a prestigious event started way back in 1932 and which was once Kenya’s national championship, is being sponsored this year by Keringet, Coca Cola, and Franctional Warehouse.

Leading the field to this challenging and hilly course just below the Menengai hills, will be Kiambu Golf Club’s Michael Karanga who until golf activities was suspended due to the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic, was leading in the KAGC series with a total of 165 points, following his back-to-back victories at Sigona Bowl and Mt Kenya Open Championship in Nyeri.

And like in the first three events including Muthaiga Open, Karanga will face some of the country’s leading amateurs such as Limuru Country Club’s Paul Muchangi and Dennis Maara, Kenya Amateur Match Play champion Isaac Makokha from Vet Lab, and Nanyuki Sports Club’s Peter Rimui.

Besides the senior players, this year’s tournament has attracted a number of juniors such as VetLab’s Steve Orinda, home player Wasim Ali and Royal Nairobi’s Victor Maiyo all of whom will be trying to grab some points towards the KAGC series Order of Merit and the World Amateur Ranking.

Currently the course is reported to be in excellent condition, with green-keeper Paul Muhia having prepared the course well for this first major event at the club. Club captain Luther Kamau on the other hand, has assured golfers that golf rules and the Ministry of Health protocols will be strictly observed.

As usual, two rounds will be played on Saturday morning and afternoon, with the third and final round to take place on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, action will also be in Machakos Golf Club where the nine-hole course will host the Masaku Golfers tournament while Karen Country Club will be the venue for the June Monthly Mug.

Down at the Coast, Nyali Golf and Country Club will the venue of the Hackers United Golf tournament which is being supported by a host of sponsors.

Back in Nairobi, VetLab members will battle it out for a number of prizes in the Dr Fernando Wangila Memorial, with Sigona Golf Club being the venue for the Jameson Black Barrel Golf Day.

Elsewhere, immediate past captain at Eldoret Golf Club Geoffrey Kitiwa will host his Captain’s prize which was postponed two months ago when golf was suspended.

Meanwhile, Embu county golfers from across the country are heading home to Embu for a tree-planting tour at the privately owned Embu Golf Club and Resort where they are expected to plant 2,000 trees on Saturday. This is a follow-up of the last tree-planting they undertook at the same venue in November 2019.

The trees have been donated by Kenya Forest Services and Equity Bank. Leading the team is the Embu county golfers Chairman/Captain Martin Nyaga and senior officials of both Kenya Forest Services and Equity Bank.

The Embu Golf Club developer Isaiah Kagoche is keen on putting in shape at least the first nine holes by the end of this year. When ready the club and golf course will come in handy for neighboring counties of Kirinyaga, Meru and Kitui whose closest golf facilities are in Nyeri, Nanyuki and Machakos respectively.

“Embu county golfers who are members of other clubs across the country have made a resolve to assist in actualizing Kagoche’s dream for the course which to a large extent will be to their benefit," said chairman Martin Nyaga.

He also thanked well-wishers from various golf clubs in the country who have so far assisted in making the golf range functional.