Malawians and Ugandans to grace Machakos year opener golf tournament

Mumias Golf Club's Dismas Indiza lines up his putt during the Safari Tour on September 4, 2018 at Vet Lab Sports Club. Indiza is among the leading Kenyan pros expected to contest for the “King Of The Course" crown in Machakos. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • The five pros who will join Machakos-based pro John Kiondo are Dismas Indiza, Tony Omuli, Erick Ooko, David Wakhu and Simon Ngige
  • Spicing up this year’s event besides the visiting players, will be some of Kenya’s leading professionals
  • Vet Lab Sports Club’s top two amateurs Robinson Owiti and Edwin Mudanyi will be seeking a third back-to-back victory in the Nairobi District Foursomes

An impressive field of 146 players drawn from as far as Malawi and Uganda is set to battle it out for the 2019 “King Of The Course’’ crown in the ICEA Lion Group-sponsored year opener golf tournament at the par 72 Machakos Golf Club course on Saturday.

Because of the oversubscription and Machakos being a nine-hole course, the competition committee has allowed some teams to play on Friday in order to reduce the pressure in Saturday’s draw. Spicing up this year’s event besides the visiting players, will be some of Kenya’s leading professionals.

The pros, who were invited as a way of promoting the links with Malawi, include those who participated in the 2018 Malawi Open in November which was won by a Zimbabwean pro Frinosa Muradzikwa with an impressive score of 288 gross.

The five pros who will join Machakos-based pro John Kiondo are Dismas Indiza, Tony Omuli, Erick Ooko, David Wakhu and Simon Ngige. The long hitting Indiza finished second in the Malawi Open just three shots behind the winner while the rest tied for sixth place on 294 gross.

Leading the eight Malawian golfers who arrived on Wednesday evening ready for this year’s King of The Course event, is the Malawi Golf Union President Hudson Kantwanje and Malawi Sports Council chairman James Juma.

They were in Limuru Country Club on Thursday where they were joined by Machakos Captain Musembi Mutuku and his vice Joe Mboya for a round of golf. They were later expected to meet Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Lucas Maranga before travelling to Machakos to play in Friday’s Club-Nite event which is a curtain-raiser for Saturday’s action.

Meanwhile, leading the hunt for the Crown this year among the locals, will be defending champion Adelbert Nyabuto Omooria from Kenya Railway Golf Club. One of the leading amateur golfers in the country Omooria produced an impressive round of 39 points to clinch the 2018 title then playing off handicap five.

To take on Omooria who is drawn at 12.20pm, in the absence of South Africa-based Daniel Nduva, will be Jackson Maalu who lost the crown by just a point. He however beat Nduva and Dominic Kikuyu on countback to claim the men’s first prize.

But besides the champion Omooria and Maalu, the event has also attracted other leading golfers in Machakos such as Jackson Nzioki, James Ndunda, Francis Njeru, Victor Mutwii and Dee Kivuva. Club captain Musembi Katuku says the course is in a better condition than last year and that he expects lower scores than 39 this year.

“We have prepared the course well because of the kind of field we are expecting in particular our visitors from Malawi and Uganda. We would like them to have great time in Machakos,’’ said Katuku.

Meanwhile back in Nairobi, Vet Lab Sports Club’s top two amateurs Robinson Owiti and Edwin Mudanyi will be seeking a third back-to-back victory in the Nairobi District Foursomes which gets under way on Friday afternoon at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club.

During last year’s event, Owiti and Mudanyi fought a neck-to-neck battle with Railway’s Samuel Njoroge and George Felix in a final match which ended at the 22nd hole where Owiti and Mudanyi eventually overpowered the Railway pair.

This year, the champions have been given a bye to Saturday where they will open their title defense against Royal Nairobi’s Joshua Ichangi and Wambugu Ikinu. Also seeking the title will be Vet Lab’s B team of Mike Kisia and Isaiah Otuke, Limuru’s John Kariuki and Francis Kimani and Kiambu’s Michael Karanga and Mike Ngene.

Host Muthaiga will depend on Mutahi Kibugu and John Gitonga, while from Windsor will be the youthful pair of Akshay Chandaria and Taimur Malik.