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By JAMES WAINDI
Paints maker, Crown Berger yesterday launched the latest golf tour, which is expected to be played on 15 golf clubs around the country before the finals are held at the par 71 Limuru Golf and Country Club on July 7.
The tour received a sponsorship package of Sh3 million from the paint makers and Crown Berger CEO Rakesh Rao said their reason for introducing the tour was to promote competition in local clubs and involve not only regular players but also lady and junior players as well.
"There will be 15 venues where an average of eight players would qualify for a grand finale to be played at Limuru on July 7.
Crown Berger Paints Chief Executive Rakesh Rao (left) and the company’s Chief Marketing Manager John Hadley at the Press Conference, Wednesday. [PHOTO: STAFFORD ONDEGO/STANDARD]
Several of the venues will accommodate members from surrounding clubs," said Rao during yesterday’s launch at the Railways Golf Club.He added: "As part of the company’s strategic market growth, Crown Berger plans to promote golf thus tap in this segment of the market.
"The overall objective is to reach out to Crown’s many customers who have shown determined loyalty and as Crown is about to make major adjustment to its total product offer it seeks all to be part of the next generation."
The tour that tees off with an event at the tight par 72 Railways Golf Club on Saturday will be played on a greensome format, which is a competition format that is a variation of foursomes, teams of two persons, each playing one ball.
In Greensomes, both players on a team tee off, the best of the two tee balls is selected and that ball is then played alternate-shot until holed.
The tour will be held at Railways Club, Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Karen Golf and Country Club, Sigona, Muthaiga, Windsor, Limuru, Vet Labs, Thika, Nyeri, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kericho.
Railways Golf Club captain Michael Mbugu, who was present during the launch, said they expected a field of more 100 players on the tour opener on Saturday and urged players to brace themselves for slow greens because of the rains.
"The greens are in perfect conditions and I’m sure they will be holding, because of the rains, so we expect very good scores. The green keeper has done an excellent job and the fairways are also in a very good conditions," said Mbugua.
Crown Berger Tour will add competition to the local circuit where already the Golfer of the Year (Goty), formerly Zain-sponsored and Kenya Commercial Bank series existed.
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