By Erick Ochieng’
The third edition of the Dasani Golf Gala continued to register high scores to maintain its tempo as this year’s competition entered its second qualifier at the par 72 Thika Sports Club.
During the opening qualifier held at Kiambu Golf Club last weekend, 38 points was the best score, but it met its match this time as three players managed better scores.
At Thika, home player Dr Joseph Karanja posted 39 points, one of the best score in the competition so far, to steer his side to the top spot with a total score of 111 points.
Karanja, playing off handicap 10, posted 20 points in the front nine before picking 19 in the back nine for a total of 39 points on Saturday.
Andrew Muriuki, playing off handicap 24, contributed to the winning team with an impressive score of 38 points, made of 19 points on both nines, while handicap 12 Patrick Karanja posted 34 points (17, 17). Andrew Kimani, playing off handicap seven, was the team’s weakest link as he could only manage 33 points (15, 18).
weakest link
Handicap four Edwin Kiarie, also enjoying his home course, amassed the best score of the competition so far, scoring 40 points of 20 points in each nine to help his team to second position on a total score of 109 points.
John Komo, playing off handicap five, posted the team’s second best score, managing 35 points (19, 35), while handicap 13 Njuguna Kahoya had 34 points (15, 19). Jimmy Mbugua, playing off handicap 23, was the team’s weakest as he could only manage a score of 28 points (14, 14). His score was better than Simon Mukiri’s score of 20 points which meant that Mukiri’s team was relegated to a reserve team despite scoring a similar total of 109 points.
The top two teams in the Thika round earned an automatic qualifier to the Grand Finale of the 2012 Dasani Golf Gala slated for Karen Golf and Country Club on September 29.
weakest link
The reserve team will be made up of handicap 17 player John Ngugi who also posted 40 points, handicap 18 Joseph Gachomba who collected 38 points and Michael Gitoyi, a handicap 19 player who scored 31 points.
