Top pros face-off in Diani Beach Masters

What you need to know:

  • The first round of the pro event is set for October 18 though the amateurs will join the pros in the last two rounds on October 20 and 21.

Kenya’s professional golfers return to the once popular Diani Beach Masters this year to chase a Sh1 shillings purse courtesy of title sponsors Prime Bank.

At least 40 local professionals and others from across East Africa and beyond, are expected at the Leisure Lodge Golf and Beach Resort in Diani, Kwale County from October 18 to 21.

The event, which was started way back in 1998 to commemorate the official opening of the 18-hole course, started as a Pro-Am event though along the way, it was upgraded to attain the Golfer of The Year status.

It was however changed a few of years ago though this is the first time that the pros are making a come back. It will be the first event the pros will be participating locally since the Barclays Kenya Open in March, but the second one in less than a month, following the Tusker Malt Uganda Open at Uganda Golf Club Kampala two weeks ago.

The first round of the pro event is set for October 18 though the amateurs will join the pros in the last two rounds on October 20 and 21.

Among the pros who have already confirmed participation include the long hitting Dismas Indiza, Thika’s Simon Ngige, Greg Snow, David Opati, Brian Njoroge, Mathew Omondi and Nyali’s Njuguna Nguigi among others.

It will be a busy week at the Coast as while the pros will be at Leisure Lodge, the country’s leading amateurs will be at Nyali for the 2017 Kenya Open Amateur Championship which returns to the course for the first time since 2008.

This being the only 72 hole stroke play championship for amateurs in the country - which is also a World Amateur Ranking event whose winner qualifies for the 2018 Barclays Kenya Open - it is expected to attract all the leading amateurs from Kenya and the other East Africa countries.