Paul Mwangi, the captain of Eldoret Golf Club, during the 2024 Nation Classic Golf Series at Eldoret Golf Club in Uasin Gishu County on September 14, 2024.
The Nation Golf Classic, Kenya’s longest-running amateur golf series, resumes on Friday at the historic Royal Nairobi Golf Club. This follows a brief hiatus last year, when only one event was held at the Karen Country Club to mark the series’ 40th anniversary.
Established in 1985 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Nation Media Group (NMG), the annual tournament has grown to become one of the country’s most popular golf series, featuring regional events nationwide.
In addition to staging popular golf tournaments, the NMG has supported a number of social activities through the series over the years. These include supporting disadvantaged children and providing schools with educational materials such as textbooks.
Huge entry of 180 golfers
The NMG has also supported the growth of golf in Kenya by contributing to junior golf programmes and sponsoring local professionals.
Today, the Nation Classic returns to the Royal Nairobi—where the game of golf was born in 1906—after a three-year break. The last time the club hosted the tournament was on October 14, 2023.
That year’s event marked the culmination of the 38th annual series, where lady golfer Sandra Kabiru, with a handicap of 36, achieved an impressive 46 points to win the overall title.
Today’s event has attracted a huge entry of 180 golfers, including 10 juniors and several corporate leaders. Among the corporate sector leaders participating are KCB chief executive Paul Russo, KICC managing director Dr Joseph Choge, Saracen CEO Lenny Ng’ang’a, and Golf Kenya president Patrick Obath.
Also competing are Githu Muigai, Njuguna Ndungu, Philip Ochola and Paul Gondi, to name a few.
Retired NMG chairman, Dr Wilfred Kiboro, and the current chairman, Joe Muganda, will also be competing in the tournament.
Royal Nairobi, the hosts, will also have a number of players competing, led by club chairman Sylvester Odhiambo.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series returns to the picturesque Limuru Country Club this weekend for the 2026 Limuru Open, which will be played between today and Sunday.
Star-studded line-up
The event, which has attracted 96 amateur golfers from Kenya and the wider East African region, marks the start of the ‘KAGC Swing’, followed by the Kenya Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Royal Nairobi Golf Club from July 23 to 26. Then, the action will return to Limuru for the Kenya Amateur Match Play Championship from July 30 to August 2.
The winners of the two major events, the Stroke Play and the Match Play, usually qualify for the Magical Kenya Open.
This weekend’s tournament will feature a star-studded line-up, including Jean D’Amour from Rwanda, Jay Sandhu from Muthaiga Golf Club, John Kamais from Nakuru, Eugene Wafula from Muthaiga, Elvis Muigua from Windsor Golf Club, Amos Odongo from Golf Park and Ebill Omollo from Vet Lab. All of these players have already won the KAGC series this year.
Aside from Kenya and Rwanda, this year’s event has attracted competitors from Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Uganda, Ghana, Burundi, India, Serbia and China, among other countries.
The first round tees off at 7.30 am, with the afternoon draw starting at 11.30 am.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
