Kenyan ladies ready to tackle East African rivals today

Tanzanian lady golfer Angel Eaton. [Maarufu Mohamed]

Kenya lady golfers descend on Diani’s par 72 Leisure Resort course in Kwale County today for a showdown with archrivals from Tanzania and Uganda in this year’s annual Coast Ladies Open Golf Championship.

The Championship, which tees off today through to Saturday has attracted 120 ladies among them eight single handicapped Tanzanians and two Ugandans.

The championship will be staged across all the four Coast courses.

It starts at Leisure course with last year’s silver winner handicap 3 Angel Eaton from Tanzania’s  Lugalo club being the first to tee off at 8.30 am in the 18-hole medal format alongside Kenya’s handicap 5 Agnes Nyakio of Vet Lab and handicap 6 Esther Chumbo from Eldoret club.

Home club’s handicap 21 Kerry Venturini leads the Bronze section teeing off at the same time and venue alongside handicap 21 Rosemary  Kioni of Royal Nairobi and handicap 21 Mary Wainaina from Muthaiga club.

Leisure club’s home professional John Davies Jr said the course was in good condition and ready for the event.

“All the ladies have arrived and have been training around the course since Sunday. It will be an exciting event and fans are also invited to come and see our finest golf ladies from the East African Region,’ said Davies.

The ladies will then move to Nyali for the day-long 36-holes tournament tomorrow before embarking on another 18-hole match at the Sea Link Mombasa course.

Action heads to Vipingo Ridge course in Kilifi County on Friday for yet another 18-hole clash before the tournament end at the same venue for the mixed greensome on Saturday.

This will be the 71st edition in the Kenya Ladies Golf Union golf calendar, which started in 1948.

The tourney will pave the way for the Uganda Ladies Open in Kampala from August 29 to 31.