Pros meet amateurs as Kenya Open Pro-Am event tees off in Muthaiga and Karen

 By THE ALBATROSS

The curtain raiser for The Barclays Kenya Open 2014 was played yesterday at The Karen Country Club and the Muthaiga Golf Club golf courses.

This new arrangement allowed for a much larger number of amateurs to take advantage of the many visiting professional golfers before the professionals get down to the serious business this morning. 

It is a jewel in an amateur’s hat to have the privilege of playing a whole round alongside a playing professional.

The Barclays Kenya Open 2014 will be played at the par 72 Karen Country Club course, unlike The Pro-Am that was played on two courses. 

The Karen course is in a superb condition, having been especially primed for this European Challenge Tour event.  This will be the first time that The Barclays Kenya Open is played with remarkable water feature on both the 12th and 18th fairways.

The PRO-AM is a competition that comprises teams of two amateurs and a professional against the field.  While the competition is between the professionals, amateurs assist the professional as for each par that the amateur plays on a hole where he enjoys a stroke, the professional records a birdie.  As usual the lowest score wins.

Fifty teams teed it off at Karen this morning with a similar number playing at Muthaiga.

The winning professional will take home an individual prize of Euros 1,000.00 for the Pro-Am, with the runner up taking Euros 750.00, the third taking Euros 550.00 and so on down to Euros 50.00 for the tenth position.

The team prizes are also monetary since this is deemed to be a competition for the professionals.  This is significant since The Rules of Golf do not allow amateurs to play for money.  The professional in the winning team will take away Euros 300.00 with the first runner-up taking home Euros 200.00 and the second runner up taking Euros 100.00.  This small change for the professionals but still a contribution.

It is important to note that during The Pro-Am, the amateurs played off their full handicaps up to a maximum of 28 for men and 36 for ladies.

The Barclays Kenya Open gets underway this morning at 7.10am with the Englishman Van Philips as the first off the tee. The second off the tee will be Jordi Garcia Del Moral followed by Ugandan, Denis Anguyo.

It is a bit disappointing for him that last year’s winner is back to defend his title.  The Challenge Tour is normally a stepping-stone to main European Tour and, eventually to the US PGA Tour.

There will be 156 professional golfers fighting it out for the top prize in this 47th edition of The Barclays Kenya Open.

THE BARCLAYS KENYA OPEN 2014
The Leader board for the Pro-Am - Karen
PRO INDIVIDUAL SCORE
1.Cyril Bouniol  -7 (65) 
2. Moritz Lampert -5 (67) 
3.NiccoloQuintarelli -4 (68) 
Stephen Engel Andersen -4 (68) 
Joel Sjoholm  -4 (68) 
Mateo Delpodio  -4 (68) 
7.Max Orrin  -3 (69) 
Bjorn Akesson  -3 (69) 
TC Charamba  -3 (69)  
Jamie Elson  -3 (69) 
Sam Little  -3 (69) 
Daniel Im  -3 (69) 
Lasse Jensen  -3 (69) 
Oliver Bekker  -3 (69) 
PROFESSIONAL  AMATEURS SCORE
1.Nicclolo Quintarelli W Danner -13
  D Achilla 
2.Bjorn Akesson  P Mbuthia -13
  W. Burugu
3.Max Orrin  N Nduati -12
  G. Njugu
4.Moritz Lampert D. Muthike -12
  P. Angasa
5 Andrew McArthur A Gacheru -12
  C Kirubi