By Maarufu Mohamed
Simon Ngige maintained top form to clinch the KCB Advantage Banking golf trophy at Royal Golf Club, Nairobi.
The Thika Golf Club professional posted an overall round total of 280 from 65-67-73-75, to close the four-day event with an impressive 12 under par and claim the first prize money of Sh96,000 at the weekend.
Ngige, who had led the event since day one on Wednesday, played a tormenting game on tough pin positions in the third round on Friday were his points were slashed down to six shots but clung on to the top spot.
The golfer came from behind after a false start to the series in February that saw him finish second in the first leg in Thika, before finishing fourth in the second leg in Muthaiga and sixth in the last event held in Nyanza Club.
“The tournament was tough, but I fought hard to regain my glory,” said Ngige
Ngige beat Mumias Club professional and long-hitting Dismas Indiza by five shots on a significant round total of 285 made of 69,72,70, 74.
Third was Nicholas Rokoine who played a level par 288, while Anil Shah, enjoying the home course advantage, shot four over par 292 to settle for fourth position.
increased sponsorship
The 2012 KCB East Africa tour series started at Thika Golf Club in the first week of February.
It was first held in 2007 as a small Pro-Am series and was sponsored by KCB to only a tune of Sh950,000 but has gradually increased to Sh9,000,000 today.
This year’s sponsorship has increased by Sh300,000, therefore increasing the total from last year’s Sh8.7 million to Sh9 million this year.
The series, which is open to all professional golfers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, is expected to move to five other regions in the country.
The next event tour will visit Nakuru next month, before the grand finale in August at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa.
It has so far been staged at Thika, Muthaiga, Nyanza and Royal Nairobi.
The series, now Kenya’s premier golf championship modeled along the lines of the Sunshine, Asia, European and US PGA tours, has brought together over 30 professional golfers from across the region who will be competing to qualify for Sh600,000 as prize money during the grand finale.
Last year’s edition saw Anil Shah win the tour finale in Nyali, a win that saw him pocket Sh400,000, after closing on a one under par 70 for a cumulative total of 2 over par 286 comprising 70, 72, 74 and 70 to claim the Nyali tour title.
According to the bank’s marketing and communications director Angela Mwirigi, KCB aims to promote golf across the country in order to improve the country’s tourism sector by making Kenya a destination for golf tourism.
