NCBA Series enters eighth leg at Karen

Action in the country-wide NCBA Golf series now heads to Karen Country Club this weekend, after a stop-over for the seventh leg at Sigona Golf Club a fortnight ago, where Hitul Lakhani led in the first division of the event.

At least 200 players are listed to play in this weekend tournament where the winners in the each of the A, B and C divisions will earn places in the grand finale of the series to be held at Muthaiga Golf Club later on.

Teeing off during Saturday’s eighth leg which will later be followed by the first of the two junior events to be held at the same venue from July 11 to 12, is set for 8am. Among the players aiming for the top prize in the A division include Paul Kaguamba, Owino Ayodo, and Anthony Gacheru among others.

This year, the top finishers during the grand finale, will win an all-expenses paid for trip to the great Fancourt Golf Resort in George, South Africa.

Speaking ahead of the Karen tournament, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said: “We are delighted to be heading back to Karen Country Club which is undoubtedly one of the best golf courses in the country. NCBA believes in the power of sports as an important avenue to interact with our customers and we are therefore looking forward to a very successful event." 

“We are very encouraged by what we have achieved so far through this tournament as we have been able to offer golfers across the country an opportunity to play and improve on their skills. It is our hope that more golfers will sign up for the remaining events which run up until the end of the year,” he added.

Meanwhile the on-form Chanelle Wangari is once again the player to watch this weekend, as a field of 184 ladies converge at the par 72 Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Kenya’s oldest golf club, for the Ladies Open being sponsored by Stanbic bank, EABL, Goodlife, Coca Cola, Farmers Choice and Dada.

A week ago, Wangari playing off scratch, produced a level par 72 at Ruiru Sports Club course, fired level par 72, a day after having posted a similar score at Thika Sports in addition to a 79 at the long playing Thika Greens Golf Resort, an indication that Wangari has fully recovered from her ankle injury during a practice session at Vipingo Ridge in February, which costed her a place in the Magical Kenya Open.

Currently the leading female golfer in the country, Wangari will this weekend face among others, her Vet Lab Sports Club club-mates Mercy Nyanchama, Rachel Ndei, Agnes Nyakio, and Frankie Gichuru, Kiambu’s Joyce Wanjiru, Nancy Wairimu from Golf Park, and home players Rachel Chebukati, Ashley Awuor among others.

Teeing off is set for 7.08am with Wangari drawn along with Nyanchama, Nancy Wairimu and Faith Ontune from the Rose Naliaka Golf Academy.

Away in Nandi, the hilly Nandi Bears Club will host the Kenya Seed Company sponsored tournament which has attracted over 100 players.

Back in Nairobi, Muthaiga Golf Club will be the venue for the Corporate Masters golf tournament.