King of Diani Golf Course: Haballa takes home chicken at Diani

King of Diani dodges bunkers to victory

SPORTS-GOLF-ALLAN HABALLA; Allan Haballa prepare to make a swing . He was the overall winner of the 2017 Chicken Run golf tournament played at the course in South Coast of Mombasa on Saturday,021st May,20o17.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Allan posts 74 nett to emerge the overall winner of Chicken Run golf tournament.

Leisure Lodge Golf Resort at Diani’s South Coast of Mombasa is said to be the only true “beach and golf” resort in Kenya.

The course also regarded as the most beautiful in East Africa with a series of splendid lush fairways that weave through mango, cashew-nut and casuarina trees to immaculate greens, and shimmer like mirages in the coastal sunshine. It is one of the most exciting and exacting courses on Africa’s amateur golf circuit that hosts numerous tournaments including the now annual legendary Diani Beach Masters golf championships.

But the most engaging challenges to golfers at the course includes 88 bunkers, a giant lake in an old quarry on the 15th hole, and a smaller lake with aquatic life on the 18thhole.

These could not deter its home golfer Allan Haballa on Saturday.

Haballa braved all odds including the abnormal chilly weather by posting 74 nett to emerge the overall winner of the 2017 Chicken Run golf tournament in a daylong 18 holes golf tournament sponsored by the club.

“This is my home course and I always practice here. I lost this event narrowly to my club mate Mitesh Kumar last year and this time I prepared well for the event,” said Haballa.

The youthful handicap 10 golfer’s victory came after sinking two rare birdies, each on both nines and added six level pars.

Though he played a couple of mixed bogey shots, a disastrous triple bogey on par four-fourteenth hole, Haballa was able to beat a team 100 golfers to lead the day.

However, it was not an easy win after Haballa returned the same score with club mate, handicap 20 Adams Randall, who was the runners up after losing on count back.

Handicap 27 Tony Venturini also from the same club was third on 76nett.

At the par 73 Kitale golf course the Kenya golf union ‘s organised 2017 Trans Nzoia open was won by Royal’s Kenneth Bollo on a round total of 228 gross(80-76-72).

Thika’s G.Gathumbi and Edwin Mudanyi tied for the second slot on 230 gross each and Mumias’s Isaiah Otuke and Thika’s Jeff Kubwa- on 231 each tied for the third slot.