Vet Lab hosts Amateur Matchplay Championship

What you need to know:

  • The first round of the four-day event, Kenya’s only major matchplay golf tournament, starts at 8am.
  • Shah turned pro immediately after the Barclays Kenya Open in March.

The chase for a slot in next year’s Barclays Kenya Open as well as points towards Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series, begins Wednesday as par-72 Vet Labs Sports Club hosts 2017 Kenya Amateur Matchplay Championship.

The first round of the four-day event, Kenya’s only major matchplay golf tournament, starts at 8am.

A knock-out open to players playing off handicap eight and below, this year’s championship has attracted a field of 64 players. The field does not however include defending champion Sujan Shah of Sigona who won the 2016 event at his home course.

Shah reportedly turned pro immediately after the Barclays Kenya Open in March. He has been participating in the Middle East/Africa’s Mena Tour along with another Kenyan pro Ganeev Giddie.

In his absence, the battle in this year’s championship being presented by the Kenya Golf Union, and whose winner will earn a ticket to the 2018 Barclays Kenya Open, is likely to be between home players Edwin Mudanyi, Isaiah Otuke, Robinson Owiti and Mike Kisia and others like Limuru’s John Karichu and Paul Muchangi, Railway’s Alfred Nandwa and Samuel Njoroge, Royal Nairobi’s Jay Sandhu, Kenneth Bollo and Dennis Saikwa and Golf Park’s John Lejirma.

Elias Indeche and the Great Rift Valley Resort’s Simon Njogu are also title contenders. Karichu and Nandwa have been given a bye in today’s first round in the first tee while Mike Kisia and Samuel Njoroge have a bye at the 10th tee will be in action the second round.

Being a matchplay, the event, one of the oldest in the country having started in 1928 which is included in the World Amateur Rankings by the Royal Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, usual produces lots of upsets. Among the past winners of the Matchplay championship includes Greg Snow, Kopan Timbe, Ganeev Giddie, Nicholas Rokoine and Brian Njoroge all of whom are now professionals.

The course at Vet Lab, one of the longest in the country has been prepared well ready for the event which the national team players heading to Uganda for the Victoria Cup, will be using as part of their build up.