On-form Karanga headlines Captain’s Prize at Kiambu
Michael Karanga celebrates with the trophy after winning the Karen Challenge golf tournament at the par 72 Karen Country Club on October 22, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Meanwhile, Joyce Wanjiru will lead a host of Lady golfers who include Doris Night, Eunice Kilonzo and Naomi Wafula.
- The Captain’s Prize, which comes a week before the Kiambu Open, a Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series, will be a good build-up for the elite amateurs who have three more events to wind up the 2023 season.
Kenya’s elite amateur golfers and some of the local professionals are set to battle it out on Thursday at Kiambu Golf Club for a share of half a million shillings purse.
The event will also coincide with Kiambu Golf Club Captain Mike Nyangi winding up his term of office with this weekend Captain’s Prize.
Nyangi, who has been very active with many golfing activities at the club this year, said he wanted to involve his Captain’s Prize to all sorts of golfers in the country.
“I have always wanted to bring on board our leading amateurs and the pros for a match, and this could have come at a better time that during my Captain’s Prize," Nyangi.
He thanked all the sponsors who have made it possible for not only the Pro-Am, but also the weekend’s main event as well as a Curtain-raiser on Friday.
The sponsors include NCBA Bank, Stanbic Bank, Cooperative Insurance, GA Insurance, Mayfair Insurance, Minet Insurance Brokers, Windsor Motors. Max Health, Granton Babz Security and friends of the Captain.
A total of 62 elite amateurs and 29 pros had been listed by Tuesday ready to battle it out where only the top 20 will take home cash prizes.
However, the week long Captain’s activities started with Caddies competition on Monday where a total of 120 caddies drawn from different clubs in the country played for a Sh200,000 purse.
“The caddies are part of the game of golf and it is also important to engage them in our club golfing activities," added Nyangi.
The last time the elite amateurs and the local pros met was during the inaugural Kilifi Governor Gideon Mungaro’s Pro-Am at the Malindi Golf and Country Club on October 7, where leading amateur Michael Karanga shot a course record of five under par 65 to win by five shots from his club mate Elvis Muigua, while Vet Lab’s Ebill Omollo was third.
The best pro was Nyali’s Daniel Nduva, who shot 69 in the final round for eight over par 148. In Malindi, the pros however played for their purse of Sh300,000, while at stake for the amateurs was Sh500,000 where Karanga took home Sh120,000.
Leading the amateurs will be home player Michael Karanga who last weekend posted a new course record in the final round at Eldoret Golf Club to clinch the Manchester Salver.
Karanga promised to show the pros and his elite colleagues fire on Thursday. “I am waiting for them and they better be ready for a tough fight."
Other leading amateurs include Limuru’s Dennis Maara, Vet Lab’s Ebill Omollo, Ben Omondi of Ruiru, John Lejirmah of Railway, Amos Odongo, James Kamenchu, and Adel Balala among many others.
Leading the challenge from the pros will be Uganda Open champion Dismas Indiza while other pros will be John Wangai, Erick Ooko, David Wakhu, Edwin Mudanyi, Justus Madoya, Samuel Njoroge, Jacob Okello, Daniel Nduva and Mike Kisia, who won the Mulembe Pro-Am at Mombasa Golf Club over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Joyce Wanjiru will lead a host of Lady golfers who include Doris Night, Eunice Kilonzo and Naomi Wafula.
The Captain’s Prize, which comes a week before the Kiambu Open, a Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series, will be a good build-up for the elite amateurs who have three more events to wind up the 2023 season.
