Sigona Bowl opens Amatuer Series

John Lejirmah

John Lejirmah in action during a past tournament.

Photo credit: File | Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Featuring some of the country’s elite amateur golfers, the Sigona Bowl which is marking its 63rd anniversary this year, is being sponsored for the second year running by Turf Machinery and Irrigation Limited
  • A field of 102 players was drawn to battle it out for the Bowl plus some points towards the KAGC Order of Merit and World Ranking points
  • Like the Ruiru event, Machakos Golf Club, the home of the ICEA LION King of The course has entered over 40 players while others are drawn from Nyeri, Nyahururu, Karen, and Ruiru Sports Club among many others

The annual Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series whose 2022 edition now includes 25 events, kicks off this weekend with the 54-hole Sigona Bowl whose first round is set for Friday at the par 72 Sigona Golf Club course.

Featuring some of the country’s elite amateur golfers, the Sigona Bowl which is marking its 63rd anniversary this year, is being sponsored for the second year running by Turf Machinery and Irrigation Limited, the appointed distributors of Toro Golf Machinery and Irrigation, courtesy of Turf’s managing director Philip Ocholla who is also the Kenya Golf Union Secretary.

Speaking on this year’s tournament, Ocholla said: “We are indeed honored to be partners with Sigona Golf Club since 2016 when the Board made a decision to keep upgrading their machines with new units and not used machines. We are also in discussions to upgrade their Irrigation and automate it.  We also thank KGU for having allowed us to sponsor the first KAGC tournament this year.’’

A field of 102 players was drawn to battle it out for the Bowl plus some points towards the KAGC Order of Merit and World Ranking points.  The first round draw does not however include defending champion Michael Karanga of Ndumberi, Limuru’s Dennis Maara and the 2021 leading amateur Adel Balala.

Leading the field will therefore be Kenya Railway Golf Club’s John Lejirmah who is also the 2021 Kenya Amateur Match Play champion and one of the three amateurs who have qualified for this year’s Magical Kenya Open to be held at Muthaiga Golf Club in March.

Other leading players include Nandi Bears Club’s Nelson Koech, Jay Sandhu of Royal, Ebill Omollo of Vet Lab, Kevin Juma of Royal and former Kenya Amateur Match Play champion Isaac Makokha.

Meanwhile after last weekend’s colourful second leg at the par 72 Ruiru Sports Club course where Margaret Warugongo became the first female golfer to win the ICEA LION King of the Course series during the second leg, action in the series now moves to the Mountain region’s Nanyuki Sports Club for the third leg which like the first two legs, has received tremendous support.

A total of 168 players were drawn to battle it out for the King of the Course title whose grand finale will take place at Machakos Golf Club course in January 2023. Like the Ruiru event, Machakos Golf Club, the home of the ICEA LION King of The course has entered over 40 players while others are drawn from Nyeri, Nyahururu, Karen, and Ruiru Sports Club among many others.

At stake besides the “big’’ trophy, will be over a dozen prizes including some reserved for the staff of ICEA LION and invited guests.

Being a nine-hole course, the club management will have to put in a place a strong team to manage the field and make sure everyone enjoys a round of golf. From Nanyuki, the series will take a break, resuming in May with the fourth leg at the beautiful Nandi Bears Club, with a club-nite stop-over at Eldoret Golf Club, an event which is being supported by Machakos golfers in support of the ICEA LION Insurance group which has been supporting the series since 2018.

Down at the Coast, the party continues this weekend, for the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa where club captain Zafir Din is hosting the Captain’s Prize, a two-day event whose first round is on Saturday, with the final round set for Sunday.

A field of 250 players including junior golfers will be tackling the challenging course during the event which comes back to back after the Lady Captain’s Prize.

Club captain Zafir Din, said the objective of the event is to celebrate the strides made by the club despite the pandemic:

"The Covid-19 pandemic affected the day-to-day running of this facility, however, the support and backing of members, sponsors, County Government and well-wishers assisted the club to overcome this pandemic."

The Governor of Mombasa County, Hassan Joho is expected to grace the event, having been very supportive of the Junior programme which saw the donation of golf equipment to rising star players.