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Local professional golfers as well as some from Uganda and Tanzania will be converging at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course Tuesday morning for the first round of the inaugural Crown Paints Invitational tournament.
Being sponsored by giants paints company Crown Paints to the tune of one million shillings, the four rounds (72-hole) event has attracted a field of 45 professionals, including three from Tanzania and two from Uganda.
This is the first time Crown Paints, who have supported many amateur events such as the Coast Open (Barry Cup) and the on-going Crown Silicone Golf series, are sponsoring a professional event.
“Though we have been involved in amateur events both at the senior and junior level, we decided to support the professionals so that they improve their standards as they prepare for international events in and outside the country," said Crown Paints CEO Rakesh Rao, during a cheque hand-over the pros at Muthaiga recently.
“Crown Paints is number one in the country therefore we would like to see a Kenyan being number one in the Kenya Open or the Karen Masters which the pros are currently preparing for," added Rao.
The visiting Tanzanians, who are set to battle it out against the locals, include the long hitting Nuru Mollel from Arusha Gymklhana Club, John Leonce, Jimmy Mollel and Eliante Lembris.
All these players have participated in some of the Kenyan events such as the Safari Tour and other local organised events. Coming from Uganda is Brian Toolit and Philip Kasozi, who played in this year’s Magical Kenya Open, courtesy of the Safari Tour, where he participated in most of the events used as criteria to select Kenya’s professionals for the Kenya Open.
However, leading the local challenge will be the captain of the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) John Wangai, who has been enjoying a great form lately, having won back-to-back the first and second legs of the KCB Road to Karen Masters golf series in Nyali Mombasa and at Thika Sports Club respectively.
To challenge Wangai besides the visiting players, will be players like Dismas Indiza, home player Greg Snow, Thika’s Simon Ngige, Erick Ooko of Royal, Windsor’s Riz Charania and Golf Park’s David Wakhu, who won the third leg of the KCB Road to Karen Masters series at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course.
According to the PGK tournament director Elisha Kasuku, the top 20 and ties after the second round of the 72-hole event will proceed to the third and fourth rounds on Thursday and Friday, where they will be battling it out for the top prize of Sh150,000.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s national amateur team for this year’s Africa Region 4 Golf championship is set to leave Tuesday morning at 7.15am for Bujumbura, Burundi ready for the championship, which returns to the country for the first time since 2012, then known as the East Africa Challenge Cup.
During last year’s Championship held at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa, Kenya came in a poor third after being eliminated by Rwanda in the match play section, where eventually Uganda clinched the title after beating Rwanda.
Leading the team of four players namely Samuel Njoroge (Railway), Simon Njogu (Great Rift) and two juniors Mutahi Kibugu and Zubair Khan of Muthaiga, will be newly elected Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Anthony Murage and team manager Ben Omuodo, who is also the KGU vice chairman.
Six countries namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Rwanda are expected to participate in the championship following the withdrawal of Congo and the Seychelles.
