Kenya: Hunt for Goty Points in Thika

Larry Ngala

28 April 2011

Nairobi — The hunt for points in the 2011 Golfer Of The Year (GOTY) series resumes this weekend.

The country’s top-ranked players will converge on the par 72 Thika Sports Club this weekend for this year’s Winston Churchill Cup being played over two rounds (Saturday and Sunday).

The event has this year attracted the sponsorship of Mount Kenya University, the first university to sponsor a golf tournament in the country.

Mount Kenya will also stage its own golf day on Monday, also at Thika. Eight points will be at stake at the Churchill Cup for the overall winner towards the GOTY series.

A total of 78 players were drawn for the main competition and 69 in a subsidiary event for Thika members who do not qualify to vie for the Churchill cup.

Among the leading golfers vying for the cup plus the points towards the GOTY award include Muthaiga’s Collins Omondi, who is the top contender in the absence of Vet Lab’s Boniface Simwa and Muthaiga’s Nelson Mudanyi.

Simwa who played for Vet Lab in the Tannahill Shield last weekend was actual playing his last event as an amateur.

Simwa, currently Africa’s second ranked amateur has already applied for a membership in the Professional Golfers Of Kenya (PGK).

Mudanyi, on the other side, was still awaiting travel documents from the American embassy on Thursday to return to the Golf Academy of America in Florida.

Omondi’s challenge

Mudanyi flew back to the country after a month in the Academy because of visa technicality and though the embassy issued him with the right visa later on, one of his document expired and the Academy advised him last week to obtain a fresh one before he is allowed back to the United States of America.

Also missing in the Thika line-up is national team captain Francis Kimani. However, Omondi’s challenge will com from Rwanda Open champion Joseph Karanja, Tom Omuli both from Golf Park, Limuru’s James Karanja and the Great Rift Valley Resort’s Abraham Abdulahi and Justus Madoya.

Away in Nakuru over 100 players will be vying for the top prizes in the Misitu Golf Challenge while the Dasani Golf Gala also resumes at Vet Lab where over 100 players will vie for various slots.

Nandi Bears will host a Kenya Commercial Bank tournament being sponsored by KCB Nandi Hills branch.

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