It is that time of the year when golfers particularly those who hail from Nyanza and part of Western region head to the lake-side city of Kisumu, for one of the most popular golfing outing, the Sunset Golf Festival hosted by Sunset Golfing Society which draws its membership mostly from the Nyanza region.
Surprisingly though this weekend’s tournament which is the Sunset Golfing Society grand finale which follows other events held in Nairobi and Mombasa, has attracted a small field of 48 for the first round on Friday and 60 for Saturday’s round, all at the par 70 Nyanza Golf Club course.
But Sunset Golfing Society Committee member Felix Ochieng says, that should not worry anybody, as there are several post entry slots for those who were not able to register their names early.
However as usual, the grand finale, which is expected to bring into Kisumu City close to 600 visitors including members and guests from the region, has attracted a sizeable support from a number of corporates led by Kenya Tourism Board through Magical Kenya, Tourism Fund Board, Safaricom, EABL, Riley Falcon Security, The VIP Hotel, Inuka Hospital, NUPEA (Nuclear Power Energy Agency), and the Maryland Hotel among others.
The Sunset Golfing Society, one of the pioneer virtual golf groups in Kenya that was founded in 1996, has a special mission which besides promoting the game of golf, is also to support education of needy children.
With over 350 members, the society’s CSR currently supports 15 needy students to a tune of Sh576,000 in fees directly paid to the schools.
Played on a rather dry and difficult condition, last year’s event saw Robert Okongó post an impressive 40 points to claim the overall title well ahead of Ceasar Handa. The course this year is in good condition following the recent rains, and some higher scores are likely to be posted.
Besides the defending champions, a number of other players like Handa, Don Riaroh, Paul Orawo, Noah Winja, Lucas Nyambogo Junior, and lady golfers Caro Kadikinyi, Rosemary Obara are also eyeing the overall title. Both Friday and Saturday’s rounds will be teeing off from 7.30am.
Meanwhile back in Nairobi, Limuru Country Club is set to host the third edition of the NCBA Golf Series Junior tournament on Friday and Saturday where 150 juniors between the ages of six to 16 years will be battling it out. This will be the final event under the 2022 NCBA Golf Series that kicked off in February. The first two junior tournaments were held at Lake Victoria Serena, Uganda, and at the Karen Country Club.
The top three winners from each category will get an invitation to play at the Rome Classic, Italy, and The Big 5 South Africa Open which are part of the US Kids Golf series.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, NCBA Group Managing Director, John Gachora said the tournament’s inclusion in the Series was a deliberate move to give juniors a chance to demonstrate their talents.
“We are delighted to be hosting the final Junior Tournament under the NCBA Golf Series for this year in conjunction with our partners. This is an affirmation of our commitment toward the development of the sport in the country. By giving these junior golfers a chance to play and compete at an early age we aim to help them become better professionals and the future stars of the sport in the country,” he said.
Away at Machakos Golf Club, all is set for Chairman’s Prize where club chairman Boniface Chuma Kavuvi has managed to assemble a field of 99 players who will be playing for an array prizes in various categories.
The course at Machakos is currently in its best condition and those drawn are likely to have an excellent weekend there. BY DAILY NATION