Home player Anika Patel strikes second victory in Standard Golf, showered with lucrative prizes

Standard Group PLC CEO Orlando Lyomu presents an Overall Winner Prize Anika Patel at the Eldoret Club yesterday.  [Samson Wire. Standard].

Home player Anika Patel is the winner of the second leg of the 2022 Standard County Golf Classic Series held at the par 71 Eldoret Club at the weekend.

Playing off handicap 24, Patel carded 17 at the front nine and fired 22 at the back nine to lift the main prize on 39 stableford points.

The 26-year-old was rewarded with a two nights accommodation courtesy of Eka Hotel Eldoret.

She also went home with two return air tickets to any destination of her choice within Kenya courtesy of Jambojet.

On top of the overall victory, the Eldoret-based tractor spares sales lady was also the Nearest to the Pin winner.

“I have never won anything like this before, I feel really happy and blessed,” Patel told Standard Sports.

“I plan to take my mum with me for an holiday at the coast. I know she will like it,” she said.

It was the second time that Patel was winning the leg having emerged top in the Eldoret circuit in 2014.

“I was playing the tournament for the third time, it really feels good to register a second victory. I came to the course with a winning mind, I played my game and finally came to find out at the end that I was the overall winner,” she said.

Ahead of the showpiece that was contested by over 100 players from Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kitale among other regions, Patel sharpened her game plan at the club by engaging in a nine-hole contest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

“From the training I knew I was in shape as the practices went well and smoothly,” she said.

“I also used the Western Circuit Ladies Open Championships to step up my game, especially in the Eldoret leg,” she said.

 

Overall winner from Eldoret Anita Patel tee off at the Second Leg of the 2022 Standard County Golf Classic series at the Par 71 Eldoret Club on Saturday April, 09, 2022. [Samson Wire. Standard]

Following the sweet victory, Patel believes she has the right momentum now to take her game to the next level as her objective is to lower her handicap to 12.

“This win has given me a lot of confidence. I love this tournament, it’s one of my favourite competitions, the series is definitely well organised.

“I always come to play it with a clear mind and everything fall into place,” she said.

At the same time, the Standard Group PLC donated Sh50,000 to buy seedlings for Eldoret Club that will be planted on the pristine course.

The kind gesture was in line with the tournament theme ‘On the Green Course, for the Green Cause’.

“We hope to see a forest expansion when we come for our next tournament here next year,” Standard Group PLC Chief Executive Officer, Orlando Lyomu, who steered planting of trees at a section of the club on Saturday evening, said.

Others who joined the tree planting exercise included FMD East Africa General Manager Fergus Robley, Space and Style CEO Winnie Ngumi, Eka Hotel Eldoret General Manager John Kanyi, and Jambojet Head of Sales and Marketing Titus Oboogi.

“The tournament has given us a rare opportunity to sensitise Kenyans and the rest of the world on sustainable actions on climate change,” Robley said.

Ngumi reiterated that it’s important to talk about climate change as Kenyan farmers rely more on their natural environment and weather patterns to farm.

“This is a great vision as climate change impacts all of us.

“We are also using this initiative to celebrate 20 years since our inception,” Ngumi said.

Kanyi noted: “We need to leave this planet a better place for the future generations so this is why Eka Hotel Eldoret is part of this sustainable climate action which is one of our key pillars that we support as an hospitality provider.”

Oboogi said they are in the transport industry that is hitched on the environmental conservation which is their centre of operation.

Eldoret leg final results

1.Junior Winner: Nelson Okeyo-  39 stableford points.

2.Longest Drive Men: K.K Serem.

3.Nearest to the Pin: Anika Patel.

4.First Nine Winner: Tom Mutei 19.

5.Second Nine Winner: Amos Butet 21.

6.Guest Winner: Lucy Mukuru 33.

7.Staff Winner: Edwin 'Ngombe Hamsini' Kwambai 29.

8.Senior Citizen Winner: James Chirchir 37

9.Lady Runners Up: V.Mutei 36.

10.Best Lady Mercy Karoney 37 ( awarded return air ticket to destination of her choice in Kenya by Jambojet and a Spa voucher by Eka Hotel Eldoret.)

11.Men Winner: K.K Serem (awarded return air ticket to destination of his choice in Kenya by Jambojet and a dinner voucher by Eka Hotel Eldoret.)

12.Overall Winner: Anika Patel (awarded two nights for two at Eka Hotel Eldoret and two return tickets to any destination of her choice in Kenya by Jambojet.)