Vet Lab hosts Pro-Am event

As Kenya’s professional golfers prepare to travel to Kampala for this year’s Tusker Malt Lager Uganda Open, back home, other players have been invited to various Captain’s Prize tournaments which will highlight the local golf scene this weekend.

At least 22 local pros are drawn in a Pro-Am event which is part of the 2020 Captain’s Prize hosted by outgoing captain Adam Nyaga at Vet Lab. The pros will be in the mix in a field of 150 amateurs in the event, which along with the main tournament on Saturday, has been sponsored by Safaricom, Roamtech, Communications Authority, NCBA Bank, Mayfair Insurance, Sense of Africa, Maroo Paints, Nuvem Tech and MultiChoice DStv.

“We thought of inviting top pros to play alongside amateurs today for a cash kitty funded by sponsors. This will give the players a boost before they leave for the Uganda Open next week,” said Nyaga.

The entries include home pros Edwin Mudanyi, Mathew Omondi, Nelson Simwa and Mike Kisia. The visiting pros include top bills Greg Snow, Mohit Mediratta and Jacob Okello. They will play for a Sh200,000 purse.

The Pro-Am and Saturday’s final event is a climax of a great week that started with a junior competition last weekend where a field of 140, who besides home juniors, included players from Thika, Royal, and Kenya Railway Golf clubs. That event was followed by a caddies’ competition on Monday which attracted a field of 190 players and where Fred Masika, playing off handicap 12, carded nett 70 to take the overall winner.

This weekend, Nyaga has invited players from other clubs like Thika, Muthaiga, Sigona Royal and Railway, making a field of 270. Smart Auto dealers based in Parklands have donated a BMW 5-series for the holes in one winner while all golfers will be dressed courtesy of Omega Apparels.

All Ministry of Health protocols for Covid-19 management will be strictly enforced, including recording temperatures of all incoming parties, adequate sanitising, wearing of masks, social distancing and observation of curfew hours.

At Royal Nairobi Golf Club, outgoing captain Chris Isabwa is also hosting a big field this weekend in his Captain’s Prize where an array of prizes will be at stake. The field includes the club’s juniors who have been in Isabwa’s agenda during his term.

Two other Captain’s prize events will take place at Thika Sports Club and Kenya Railway Golf Club.

At Thika, club captain Edward Nyamu is hosting over 250 golfers during the event being sponsored by a host of sponsors including Thika Motor Dealers (TMD) Kenya (Isuzu).  At Railway Golf Club, the two-day Captain’s Prize (Jo Marucha), event has attracted a list of sponsors including Absa, APA, Sanlam, Coca Cola and Geminia Insurance.

At Kiambu Golf Club, it will be the turn of the Chairman’s prize where club chairman Pius Mworia has drawn a field of 140 players and where some fabulous prizes will be at stake during the event which comes after the successful Captain’s Prize.

It’s a big day also at the par 72 Ruiru Sports Club course where club Captain Thomas Mwaura will be host the Space and Style Club Championship.