Karen Masters introduces new competition

The Karen Masters committee, in partnership with Safaricom, will this year introduce a junior golf shootout competition to held Saturday.

This inaugural competition at the 2018 KCB Karen Masters tournament will feature a chipping competition on the 12th hole for both boys and girls in age groups: 7-9yrs; 10-11yrs; 12-13yrs; and 14-15yrs.

The committee aims to develop this competition into a full Drive, Chip & Putt competition that will further test different aspects of the juniors golfing abilities.

For many of these juniors, it will be the first time they will be playing before a “gallery” of spectators. It is the hope of the organisers that this platform will offer them an opportunity to build their confidence and mind set on a world stage.

In brief the shootout is a closest-to-pin competition: that will entail the juniors hitting (chipping) 3 balls from a set distance - from which the closest to the pin of the 3 balls hit will be measured and entered as their score. We will have different distances for each age group - and the results will be adjudged per age group.

For example, age group seven to nines: first, second, third for boys, first, second third for girls. In the event of one or more competitor holing their chips - the "play-off" will entail hitting two more balls (and a winner determined).

Despite the presence of a European Tour and now a Sunshine Tour championship being played in the country, there continues to be a drought in Kenyan professionals winning these events.