Simbi wins Mulembe golf title

Victor Simbi, a handicap 14 golfer, beat a strong field of 128 golfers on the wet Mombasa Golf Club course, to walk away with the overall title during this year’s Mulembe Pro-Am Golf Coast edition on Saturday.

This was despite making two double bogeys, one in each side and five single bogeys, with only one birdie coming at the 11th hole for an excellent 41 points made up of 19 and 22 points.

He beat men winner Salim Taib by two points, while club chairman Paul Munyao was second on 37, two points clear ahead of Paul Koech on 35.

Leading the Mulembe Golfing Society members, was Diamonds Leisure Golf Resort’s Alan Habala who posted 33 points to win by one point from outgoing Mulembe chairman Francis Okwara of Royal Nairobi Golf Club who clinched the men’s first prize with 32, just a point better than his club-mate Edwin Kinisu who took the second prize.

Nyali’s Evans Murumba was third on 30 points while Caroline Mokaya topped the Ladies list among the home players, with a fine score of 35 points, winning ahead of Pauline Nduva on 33, while Elijah Ibua was the best senior on 30 points.

Alan Habala and Flacia Gichomo won the longest drive contest, as senior golfer Johnson Wamunyua was the closest to the pin winner.

There was a stiff competition among the 28 professionals who turned up for this year’s tournament hosted at the Links course for the third year running.

Because of the heavy rains on Friday where the seniors were to be joined by some of the members, the Friday event was cancelled, leaving only one round on Saturday where leading the pros, was Vet Lab Sports Club’s Mike Kisia who returned an impressive four under par 67, a round that included seven birdies and three bogeys.

Kisia took home Sh90,000 while finishing second on three under par 68 for Sh75,000 was another Vet Lab player Edwin Mudanyi.

Golf Park’s David Wakhu carded two under par 69 to finish third, just a shot better than Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Chairman John Wangai. It was a tough outing for the senior pro and newly crowned Uganda Open champion Dismas Indiza who managed three over par 74, to tie for eighth place.

Speaking during the prize-giving ceremony, newly elected Mulembe Chairman Eric Nyongesa urged golf events organizers in the country to consider inviting the professionals who he said, have had a tough time this year, where they only played a handful of events.

“Our professional golfers earn their living by playing golf, hence it will be good if we invite them whenever we have events such as this one. This year, elite amateur golfers have earned more money than the pros because amateurs are now allowed to win cash prizes,’’ said Nyongesa.

He said moving forward, Mulembe will always include the pros in its event and that includes the 2023 grand finale at Kitale Club on December 22. Nyongesa thanked all the sponsors who included ICEALION, Artha Insurance Brokers, Tudor Health and friends of Mulembe.

At Nyali Golf and Country Club, Lady golfer Caroline Nyarandi clinched the 16th leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour. She carded an impressive score of 44 points to beat a field of 191 golfers. 

Meanwhile the team of William Kaguta, Edwin Kiptoo, Caroline Nyarandi, and Raajkamal Dhanjal returned a combined score of 118 points to emerge as the winning team.

They beat their closest challengers Detan Ondieki, Wilson Rading, Peter Umara and Joan Kimani who carded 112 points. The two teams now join 13 other teams that have qualified for the grand finale of the series that will be held at the Karen Country Club on December 15.

Meanwhile, Mukesh Sanghavi carded 42 stableford points to scoop the overall men's award while handicap 31 lady golfer Annemarie de Jong carded 39 points to clinch the ladies prize.

In the staff category, Senior Relationship Manager Scola Onsongo returned 46 stableford points to win while handicap 24 Ken Ouko emerged the runner up.

Mike Mwimali playing off handicap 16, carded 42 stableford points to lead the guests, with Fidel Wasike Jr taking the junior title.

At Naivasha Sports Club, James Mureu took the overall title in the NCBA sponsored Monthly Mug, after posting gross 76 for nett 70.

The Ladies top prize went to Tabitha Kiragu with 36 stableford points ahead of Grace Gathungu on 27. In the men’s category, Boniface Kangangi carded 37 points, to win by one point from Isaac Kamau. Meanwhile, claiming the first prize among the guests, was Margaret Wanjiru with 37 points.

“Golf is a sport that instils great discipline and garners comradery and sportsmanship among those you play in a four ball with. With this sports sponsorship we want to transform the lives of many Kenyans,’’ said John Gachora, Group Managing Director, NCBA Bank.

Elsewhere, the Junior Golf Foundation Kenya (JGF) on Sunday at Muthaiga Golf Club received a batch of 24,000 golf balls from DP World, the smart logistics provider and title partner of the DP World Tour

The golf balls received are part of the DP World ‘second life’ container initiative that has been on a journey mission to collect used and unwanted golf balls to give back to grassroots golf and grow the game.

The professional tour balls kindly donated to JGF have come from the European Tour group’s Challenge Tour, who support the DP World initiative with a substantial donation of balls following an event in the UK. 

The golf balls, delivered through DP World’s logistics network, will go a long way in improving and supporting the standards of junior golf in Kenya.

They will be distributed to 30 golf clubs across the country to help in nurturing talent. JGF has 47 coaches countrywide to teach juniors how to play the sport and has also distributed golf club sets to clubs around the country as training tools for the juniors to learn the game.