Murimi secures Valentine title
What you need to know:
- Despite scratching the last hole after a poor approach shot, Ben Murimi still cruised home to victory in the 10th edition of the annual Maneno World Valentine tournament at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course at the weekend.
- The handicap nine Murimi carded an impressive 40 points thanks to an excellent first nine score of 21 points.
- Kenya Ladies amateur champion Kellie Gachaga carded the day’s second best round of 39 points to clinch the junior title
Despite scratching the last hole after a poor approach shot, Ben Murimi still cruised home to victory in the 10th edition of the annual Maneno World Valentine tournament at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course at the weekend.
The handicap nine Murimi carded an impressive 40 points thanks to an excellent first nine score of 21 points.
“I think I was over excited and that is why I scratched the 18th hole. I knew I had 40 points in my pocket for it actual did not matter what i scored at the home green’’ said Murimi, who beat men winner Anthony Mburu by two points.
He birdied the second hole at the front nine, then bogeyed the fourth and a double at the par five-seventh. He started the back nine with a birdie at the par five-10th, but hit two bogeys soon after at the 11th and 13th and as he was teeing off from the 18th tee, he had 19 points at the back nine.
Emerging the best among the League Warriors, was handicap two Evans Vitisia who birdied the third, fourth, seventh and eighth, having dropped a shot at the sixth for 22 points.
The back nine was however a tough one for the former Rugby star as he bogeyed the 10th and 16th with a double at the par three-13th having birdied the 11th earlier for 16 points.
Natasha Khromov was the lady winner with 36 points, two better than Samira Furrer while the senior title went to Azirikam Lubis on 30 points.
Kenya Ladies amateur champion Kellie Gachaga carded the day’s second best round of 39 points to clinch the junior title. Then playing off handicap five, Gachaga parred all the first nine holes for a level par 21 points.
She however ran into trouble at the back nine where she dropped shots in all the short holes at the back nine( 11th, 13th, 16th) with the nine’s only birdie coming at the home green for 18 points.
The nines went to A.K. Mwangi on 24 points and Yogi Nandha who posted 23 points. For the invited guests, F. Maina posted 37 points to win by one point from P. Giathi.
A total of 200 players turned up for this year’s event sponsored by Ponyea India Medicare. Maneno World’s Paul Richu thanked the club members for their continued support of the event.
