Battling Kenya enter golf Region Five quarters

What you need to know:

  • Nandwa shot five over par 77 while Edwin Mudanyi and John Karichu carded 78 each.
  • The best round for the team came from the newcomer in the Kenyan team, Samuel Njoroge, who fired three over par 75.

IN KITWE, ZAMBIA

Kenya put up a spirited fight to finish third overall in the 18-hole stroke play qualifying round, thus earning a place in Thursday’s quarter finals of the Africa Region Five Golf championship at the par 72 Nkana Golf Club course.

Kenya coach John van Liefland and captain Alfred Nandwa were happy with the results, a better performance compared to last year’s in Swaziland.

“It’s a tough course but we did our best to make sure that we didn’t drop too many shots," said Nandwa, who shot five over par 77 while Edwin Mudanyi and John Karichu carded 78 each.

The best round for the team came from the newcomer in the Kenyan team, Samuel Njoroge, who fired three over par 75.

“Our target was to get into the top division which gives us a chance to play some of the top teams like South Africa A side which topped the A division of eight teams,’’ said Van Liefland. Only one team from each country in the Region Five countries qualified for the A division.

The eight teams in the top division are South Africa A, Zambia A, Kenya, Swaziland, Namibia, Uganda, Zimbabwe A and Botswana.

The South Africans led the group after Luca Filipi’s 74, Marco Steyn’s one under par 71, Kyle McClatchy’s level par 72 and a 75 by Christo Lamprecht, one of the two juniors who also represented South Africa during the Junior Championship in Zimbabwe. The South African B team which will lead the B division teams did not play that well as their best score was a 73 by Franklin Manchest and Steyn Rous.

Aneurin Gounden shot 77 while the only black in the team Siyanda Mwanda carded 78.

UNHAPPY WITH FORMAT

But back at the A division, South Africa A will take on Botswana while Zimbabwe A was drawn against Swaziland and Kenya will meet Uganda with the last match in the quarter-final being between Zambia A and Namibia.

Teams in B divisions are South Africa B, Zambia B, Zimbabwe B, and Angola A and B teams. The format for the quarter final matches will be one foursome and two single matches, a format which many countries are still unhappy with as they claim it does not give them a chance to play against each other as was the case in the previous format of singles, foursomes and fourball better ball and final round singles.

Teeing off for Thursday’s matches are set for 8am.