NCBA series and KCB East African tour spice up weekend

NCBA's John Gachora. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard].

Action moves to the Thika Sports Club where Golfers will be flexing their muscles in the ongoing 2023 NCBA Golf series this Saturday.

The daylong 18 holes tournament has attracted 250 golfers where the overall gross winner, Men's category winner, Women's category winner, and Juniors category winners will secure their places to compete in the Grand Finale scheduled later this year.

This is the fourth leg of the series, which commenced in March of this year, attracting avid golfers from across the region and is organized by NCBA Bank to serves as a platform in promoting the sport of golf across the East African region and marks

The event follows the third leg that was held at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club on April 22^nd, where Abhishek Pandit emerged as the overall gross men winner with a score of 79 gross, securing a coveted spot in the Grand Finale.

In the Women's category, Phillus Kimbo emerged as the winner, showcasing remarkable skill with a score of 85 gross.

At the same time, Nathan Kania demonstrated exceptional talent and emerged as the juniors' category winner with a score of 104 gross.

NCBA Group Managing Director, John Gachora, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We are thrilled to be heading to Thika Sports Club for the next leg of the NCBA Golf Series. It is always a pleasure to be hosted at this prestigious club, known for its exceptional facilities and warm hospitality.

"We are excited to witness the passion and skill of the golfers as they compete for a chance to secure their spot in the Grand Finale. This event is another fantastic opportunity for NCBA Bank to connect with our customers through the sport we all love," he said.

Limuru's Roy Nichola. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard]

Gachora said the NCBA Golf Series aims to not only promote the sport of golf throughout the East African region but also establish a stronger connection between the Bank and its customers through the shared love of the sport and this year's edition comprises a total of 17 club qualifier events hosted at various golf clubs in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

Thika Sports Club Captain, Ndegwa Thuku, said, "We are eagerly anticipating the upcoming leg of the NCBA Golf Series at Thika Sports Club. With an estimated 250 golfers set to take part, we expect a highly competitive and memorable event. The golf course is in very good condition thanks to the recent rains, and we expect the golfers to have a good day on the course. We are delighted to host this series once again, and extend a warm welcome to all golfers joining us."

So far, the Series has been successfully held at the Railway Golf Club, Limuru Country Club, and Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club.

The Series also includes two junior tournaments, with the first one having been held in Uganda in March and the next one planned to take place at the Nyali Golf Club in November.

Meanwhile a record field of 150 players are set to take on the par-72 Kakamega golf course, this coming Saturday, May 27th, during the 5th leg of the ongoing 2023 KCB East Africa Golf Tour.

The action will tee off at 6:30 AM as the expansive field, which includes members of the Kakamega Golf Club and guest players from around the country, battles to join the winning teams from Eldoret, Limuru and Railways to play in the tour's grand finale later in the year.

In addition to the amateur series, this leg will see two golf clinics hosted on Sunday targeting ladies and junior golfers.

So far, the clinics have reached over 300 participants in total from the opening three legs at Vetlab, Eldoret, Limuru and Railways golf clubs.

Eldoret's Amos Butit. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard]

KCB Group Director Marketing and Communications, Rosalind Gichuru said, "We are excited to head to Western Kenya for the 5th leg of the KCB East Africa Golf tour, at the Kakamega Golf Club, after successful events at Vetlab, Eldoret, Limuru and Railways Golf Clubs. We look forward to crowning the fourth set of teams who will play at the grand finale, later in the year."

Kakamega Golf Club Captain James Anzabwa said, "We are honored to host the 5th leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour this Saturday. The event has drawn a lot of interest from golf enthusiasts. The course is in great shape, especially after the rains we have received in the last couple of weeks which should provide an exciting challenge to the players."

The top two teams from this leg will qualify to play in the grand finale slated for November at the Karen Country Club, for a chance to play at the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open Pro-Am event.

And finally other golfers will on Saturday,27^th,May,2023 be camping at the Kenya Railway's Golf Club,Ruiru Sports Club, Nandi Bears sports, Vetlab sports club, Nyali and Seafront Mombasa Golf Course for mixed bag of tournaments.