Karen Country Club collaborate with Sunshine Tour in South Africa

SPORTS-GOLF-STEFAN ANDERSEN; South African based Kenyan Sunshine Tour Professional Golfer Stefan Andersen in a past tourney.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Stefan Engel Andersen, a South Africa-based player, will fly the Kenyan flag in the 2018 KCB Karen Masters golf championship that start at the par 72 Karen Country Course in Nairobi tomorrow.

Andersen, the only Kenyan Professional in the Sunshine Tour and currently based at the South African-based Els Club, is among hundreds of sunshine international tour golfers in the four-day showpiece.

The golfer, formerly based at Muthaiga before turning International yesterday, turned up to join amateurs in the KCB Karen Pro-Am curtain raiser event that ends today at the Karen Course.

He was set to tee off at 12.10pm from the tenth tee alongside three Kenyan amateurs in Peter Githae, Kanji Mbugua and Charles Kariuki.

The three are among the 30 Kenyan Amateurs who secured slots from five clubs (Ruiru, Limuru, Eldoret, Nyali and Muthaiga) in the KCB Road to Karen Masters qualification rounds that culminated in the Pro-Am.

Karen Masters Tournament Director Andy Watt said it is great to see Stephan Engel-Andersen among 100 top-ranking players that compete against 32 of Kenya’s finest.

He said KCB Karen Masters has transitioned into a distinctly African tournament designed to promote local golfers.

 “The Sunshine Tour comprises a large South African contingent alongside players from Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe and some from other countries including Brazil, Ireland, England, USA, Australia, Sweden, Portugal and even Chile,” said Watt.

He said this was the first time the Sunshine Tour has sanctioned an event in East Africa and will be the start of a long term venture to help support the sport.

Karen Country Club collaborated with the Sunshine Tour in South Africa into inviting some good players from other African countries lend colour to the field of 152 professional players.

The main event that has attracted 156 entries including 32 professionals and four amateurs from Kenya. It runs from tomorrow to Sunday for the Sh15 million ($150,000) prize kitty from Kenya Commercial Bank.

A brand new VW Tiguan car valued at Sh6.9 million from DT Dobie will be offered to any golfer who sinks an Albatross on the 18th hole.

Kenya Breweries Limited have increased its  sponsorship to the tune of Sh2 million. Other sponsors include Safaricom, Toyota, Tamarind Group, Kenya Airways, Britam Holdings PLC, Wilken, Meridian Healthcare and Copy Cat printers, Kenya Tourism Board  and KK Security.