KAGC Series takes centre stage at Royal

The par 72 Thika Sports Club will be a busy place this weekend as club captain Wanjau Gathuri hosts the 2021 Captain’s Prize golf tournament.

The event, sponsored by Thika Motor Dealers Kenya, EABL and Isuzu East Africa, is expected to attract huge field of 250 players.

The action, which winds up the term of Wanjau Gathuri, starts on Friday with a curtain-raiser event which has also attracted a big entry.

“We have prepared the course well for the event and we are looking forward to some impressive scores as the course is currently in an excellent condition," said Gathuri.

Among those drawn besides club members, include guests and staff of the sponsors who will be battling it out for special prizes reserved for them.

Going for overall title among the members will be single figure handicap golfers such as David Matano, David Karuma, Patrick Gakuo and David Wainaina among others.

At the national scene, Kenya Amateur Stroke Play champion John Lejirmah has his eyes on the Uhuru Shield, a Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series at the par 72 Royal Nairobi Golf Club from on Friday, after surrendering his Uganda Open Amateur Championship at Entebbe Golf Club last weekend.

Lejirmah, who is from Kenya Railway Golf Club, is among a small field of 64 was drawn to battle it out for the Shield plus some points towards the KAGC series Order of Merit.

At Royal, Lejirmah will be facing newly crowned Nyanza Open champion Dennis Maara, former Kenya Amateur champion Isaac Makokha, Nandi Open champion Nelson Koech and home player Jay Sandhu who is yet to claim any KAGC title this season.

The first round of the penultimate KAGC event gets under way from 11.30am followed by the second round Satruday morning from 8am.

At Nakuru Golf Club, club chairman Stephen Kihumba is hosting the Chairman’s Prize being sponsored by Crown Paints, Sahota Trucks, Coca Cola and Dairyland among others. A field of 81 players were drawn to tee off from 6.30am led by the chairman.

Meanwhile, the ultimate showdown in the 2021 NCBA Golf Series is on at the Karen Country Club where the par-72 course hosts the Series' Grand Finale on Friday.

This will be the 23rd leg on the 2021 NCBA Golf Series Calendar, where 105 players who qualified to battle it out for the ultimate honour of being crowned the overall Series champion.

The playing field comprises of five top finishers – overall winner, men's winner, men's runner-up, ladies' winner, and ladies' runner-up - from each of the 21 events. Among them are three junior golfers who emerged overall winners at their respective club's legs of the Series.

The three are 11-year-old Cherono Kipkorir, who emerged overall winner at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club; 11-year-old, Mumbi Gatu, who was crowned overall winner at the Limuru Country Club; and 12-year-old Nathan Mwangi, who won at the Karen event.

Nathan also emerged victorious at Karen during the two-day Junior Golf Tournament held in August when he took the winner's spot in the 12-year-olds category.

The Series, which teed off in January this year at the Thika Golf Club, has seen the participation of close to 3,000 golfers taking part across the participating golf clubs, making it one of the most successful golf series in the 2021 Kenyan golf calendar.

For the Grand Finale, NCBA Group has planned an elaborate event that will crown the year-long Series. The event will feature a series of activities culminating in an elegant gala event to award and celebrate the winners.

NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said: "We are thrilled to be holding our Grand Finale this Friday as a culmination of what has been an extremely successful golf series. To have the top players from across the Series battling it out for top honours at one of Kenya's most pristine golf courses is the pinnacle of all the work that the entire team behind this Series has put into ensuring that the Bank's vision for the sport comes to fruition.

"With stakes being high for the Finale, we expect that the level of competition will similarly be heightened, and therefore look forward to seeing top golf from all those who will take part in the event as we crown the ultimate winner who will be taking home the title and prizes valued up to Sh50,000.”