Oluoch flies high: Handicap five golfer beats King'ori to claim KQ golf tourney in Nyali

Joseph Oluoch makes a Swing. The handicap 5 golfer posted a count back score of 39 stable ford points to emerge the overall winner for the fifth leg of the ongoing Kenya Airways golf Safari tournament played at the par 71 Nyali golf and Country club course in Mombasa County on Saturday,029th November 2014.PHOTO BY MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

Home golfer Joseph Oluoch posted 39 stableford points to emerge the overall winner during the fifth leg of the ongoing Kenya Airways Golf Safari at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club on Saturday.

Oluoch, who was playing on handicap five, narrowly beat his closest opponent Jimmy King'ori on a count-back score after they had tied.

During the event, Olouch, who in October won the Kenya Tourism Board tournament at the same venue, rolled five pars and dropped four bogey shots on the outward nines.

He re-organised in the inward nines by sinking two rare birdies on the par four 14 and the par three 18 holes and added seven level pars to claim the lead and beat a team of 161 golfers.

"It's great and amazing to claim two victories in less than two months and I'm still practising hard to go further. I started on a humble note and now its bearing fruits," said Oluoch.

King'ori, also on 39 stableford points was the man winner while the runners-up slot was claimed by handicap 13, Dominic Makau on count-back score with 38 points after tying with third-placed handicap 17 Edwin Miano.

Kenya Airways sponsored the day-long event for the Coast golfers, which attracted players from Nyali club, Mombasa, Leisure, Vipingo, Malindi, guests and staff of the sponsors with valid handicaps.

Nila Devani, playing off handicap 34, was the lady winner on 36 points and handicap 36 Gisela Dhanji was the runner-up just two points behind.

School-boy Shorua Ole Kina, playing off handicap 28, was the junior winner on 37 points while handicap six, Amos Ngonjo, settled for the Guest winner on 35 points. Taking the senior prize was handicap 18, John Smith, who had a score of 36 points.

The Longest man drive prize was won by handicap 20 Tony Wanyama and with Susan Stokes taking the ladies' title.

The Kenya Airways Golf Safari was designed to promote Kenya as a top golf tourism destination by staging 15 local events on the calendar and another 13 across Africa and Asia. In the 2014/15 KQ Safari aims to become the most talked-about golf series on the African continent.

The first event took place at the challenging Railway Golf Club in Nairobi in February this year before moving to the Limuru Country Club, the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, Nyeri Club and finally Nyali.

According to the Safari golf calendar, the next event will be staged at Eldoret Golf Club ( December 6) then Nyanza Club, a week later and the Thika Sports Club on December 20.

In 2015, the event will spread to Vet Lab Sports Club (Jan-3), Kiambu Golf Club (Jan-10), Nakuru Golf Club (Jan17), Muthaiga Golf Club (Jan-24), Sigona Golf Club (Jan-31), Karen Country Club (Feb-7) and the Royal Nairobi Golf Club (Feb-14) and conclude with a grand finale on the 26th of March, at Windsor in Nairobi.

Among the other Countries that will stage the Safari includes, Thailand, China, Nigeria, Seychelles, Ethiopia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Uganda (Jan-17) and Tanzania (Dec-6). - [email protected]