Nation Classic Series heads to Nakuru

The 2022 Nation Classic Golf Series dubbed the “Road to the Dubai Desert Classic’’ is on this weekend at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course in Nakuru County, after a three-week break.

This weekend’s tournament which has an entry of 141 golfers drawn from the Central Rift region and as far away as Nyanza Golf Club, Kisumu and several other clubs in Nairobi, was initially the season-opener and had been scheduled for April 30.

It was however postponed to this weekend, following the death then of the retired president Emilio Mwai Kibaki who was also the Patron of Kenya Golf Union.

It comes after the Nyanza leg at the lake side Nyanza Golf Club course where junior golfer Nicholas Nyambogo, a son of veteran Nyanza golfer Lucas Nyambogo beat a field of 105 players to emerge the overall winner, and hence booked a place in the grand finale to be hosted by Ruiru Sports Club in November.

Though only 141 players had confirmed and listed to play, a number of post entries and reserved slots are still available, hence over 170 players may eventually tee off on one of the most challenging course which hosted the Coronation Trophy, a Kenya Golf Championship (KAGC) series recently.

However those drawn include club chairman Mandeep Sahota, veteran Steve Gachiu, former captain Hilary Korir, current captain Shem Orwenyo among others. Leading the staff once again will be Nation Media Group Chairman Dr Wlfred Kiboro while among the guests drawn include former NMG staffer Henry Owuor, Karen Country Club’s Don Rioroh, Nyanza Golf Club’s Elizabeth Akinyi and Thika Sports Club’s Maina Ruo.

At stake for the members will be a fine list of prizes in addition to the reserved five slots namely Overall Winner, Men Winner and Runner up, Lady and Junior winner for the grand finale set for November 4 at Ruiru Sports Club.

Teeing off for those drawn in the morning gets underway from 6.40am in a running draw. “The course is currently in its great condition since we hosted the Coronation trophy where players enjoyed their three rounds. We have made everything possible to make sure it stays like that for the Nation Classic this weekend’’ said Orwenyo.

As usual, besides the golf event which comes a day after the Sustainable Energy Conference at Olkaria Geothermal where the Nation Media group was involved, there will be a Corporate Social Responsibility activity within Olkaria where Nation Media Group together with KenGen, will donate textbooks to Olkaria Prpmary School.

For the golf event, Nation will be teaming up with Premier Food Limited and Bright Spark Media which also supported the Nation Classic during the first leg in Kisumu.

Elsewhere, the 2022 Kenya Amateur Match Play golf championship which started on Thursday with the 36-hole Stroke play qualifying event where 32 players qualified for the Match Play proper, enters its second stage on Friday.

The event had earlier attracted a big field of 84 players including some from Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Meanwhile Ruiru Sports Club hosts the Kiambu County Governor’s trophy. However action at Ruiru starts Friday with the Ladies Open which has attracted most of the leading lady golfers in the country.

At Karen, over 200 players will be hosted by Crown Paints, while Kakamega and Kericho will be staging the DTB “Bank With Us’’ and the Mabati Rolling Mills respectively. This afternoon, Sigona will be the venue of the Cardinal Otunga Scholarship Charity golf tournament being hosted by the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. Fr Boniface Mungai said proceeds will support needy University Students.