Ruiru, Kakamega host ladies tournaments

It will be the ladies turn at both Kakamega and Ruiru Sports Clubs this weekend as action in the local golf scene continues pending the total resumption of national and international golf and other sporting activities in the country.

At the nine-hole Kakamega Sports Club course which was the venue of the Eliud Siganga and the Gang tournament last weekend, Lady Captain Dr Irene Ashioya will be hosting the Lady Captain’s Invitation tournament being sponsored by friends of the Lady Captain. The tournament which starts with the ladies stableford in the morning where men have also been invited. This will be followed by the Mixed Foursomes in the afternoon where the ladies will again be joined by the men, an event that has attracted a field of 53 players drawn from Kakamega, Nyanza Golf Club Kisumu, Nandi Bears and Kisii Sports Club.

During last weekend’s tournament, Vivian Amusala managed to beat a field of 45 players, to claim the overall title though with a low score of 34 points. Amusala will be leading the field in the company of Nyanza’s Rosemary Obara and Kakamega’s veteran lady golfer Leah Lichivya. Also drawn are players like Betty Bisonga and Elizabeth Akinyi as well as the lady captain herself Irene Ashioya.

At the par 72 Ruiru Sports Club course, the Ladies Stableford No 2 being sponsored by friends of the Lady Captain Edith Ngugi will be contested by a field of 220 players. The event is open to both ladies and men golfers.

During last weekend’s “New Committee’’ tournament, Fredrick Kungu then playing off handicap 25, produced an excellent score of 41 points to claim the overall title, beating a field of 129 players including the men winner Zak Muigai and Eliakim Maina.

All of them as well as others like Major George Mwaura are drawn to battle it out again with Pauline Mungai who has been in great form lately, likely to feature prominently in the ladies section. Last week she posted a fine score of 39 points, to claim the top prize in the ladies section.

Though the stableford scoring system appear to favour the middle and high handicappers, the low handicap players like Frank Munyua and Chris Andrea are expected to give it their best as well. Last weekend Munyua shot four over par 76 to clinch the gross title while Andrea could only take home the minor prize of the nearest to pin contest.

Last weekend Andrea hit three double bogeys in the first nine though it was a scratch with a seven at the last hole which completely destroyed his chances, having made only two birdies for the day for the low 30 points playing off handicap two.

“My game was bad last week as I missed a lot of scoring chances, and being a stableford event where I had only one extra stroke, it was almost impossible for me to feature in the prize. But I have been practising and will see how it goes in the club-night today,’’ said Andrea before teeing off for the club-night on Thursday.

Meanwhile at VetLab, club captain Adam Nyaga is sponsoring the Stableford competition where a field of 124 will battle it out for a list of prizes being offered in the various categories. The par 72 course at Vet Lab is in its best condition and some interesting prizes are expected this weekend.