Golf: Handicap 25 golfer beats experienced field to chalk up excellent 42 stableford points

SPORTS-GOLF-BARCLAYS PWANI LEG; Barclays bank's Managing Director Jeremy Awori (left) presents a trophy to Nyali golfer Zahir Din at the Nyali golf club's house in Mombasa County on Saturday ,03rd March, 2018 night.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

 

Golfer Din bags Kenya Pro-Am slot

Nyali’s Zafir defies unusual weather to earn a dream berth in upcoming Barclays Kenya Pro-Am.

Zafir Din overcame unusual chilly and wet conditions at the coastal city of Mombasa to earn a slot at the 2018 Barclays Kenya Pro-Am golf tournament that tees off on March 22.

The wet course at the historic par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club saw veteran golfers fall by the wayside, but handicap 25 Din held his nerve to bring home an excellent 42 stableford points to claim the victory on Saturday.

Din, who got his handicap last October, sank a rare birdie at the toughest par five-seventeenth hole with two added level pars on the par four-seventh and the par three-eighteenth  holes.

He, however, played a mixed bag of bogey shots on the rest of both nines.

“The course is in good condition but was wet and tough,” Din said after the memorable victory.

“I was under pressure playing with two senior captains as partners, but I am happy I did not give in and went ahead to win a slot to the Pro-Am,” he said.

Club mates handicap 12 Ismail Gulamali was the men winner on 38 points and handicap 04 Gurbux Singh on a count back score of 37 points was the men runner-up.

The club’s former lady captain, Joyce Masai, playing off handicap 11, was the lady winner and taking up the runner-up slot was handicap 19 Venessa Peris on 36 points.

Handicap 20 Taariq Jamal, who had the day’s second best score of 40 points, claimed the best junior prize while Muthaiga’s handicap 24 Christine Ochola on 34 points and  Nyali’s handicap 3 George Munyao on 76 gross were the guest and gross winners respectively.

Barclays Bank Managing Director Jeremy Awori launched the Pwani leg on Friday night by hosting tee-offs at the Mombasa’s iconic site Fort Jesus.

Awori said the bank was keen to promote tourism to regional destinations by hosting tee-offs at iconic sites that are carefully chosen to best showcase host counties.

“Barclays has committed a total of Sh82 million this year, comprising Sh50 million for Barclays Kenya Open sponsorship and Sh32 million that will go to the six series which features amateur and junior golfers,” said Awori.

The Mombasa event dubbed ‘Pwani’ that attracted 150 golfers is the fifth edition of the Barclays tour with the final leg to be played at the Thika Sports Club course.

It is a six-tournament series in six major towns around the country in which the overall winner earns an automatic slot to the forthcoming Barclays  Kenya open Pro-Am tournament expected to be played at the Muthaiga course.

The Barclays Kenya Open will be preceded by the Kenya Open Golf Limited and Barclays Bank of Kenya Pro-Am events on March 20-21. This year, 156 golfers, including 22 Kenyan professionals, six Kenyan amateurs, and more than 100 European Challenge Tour players, are expected at the Barclays Kenya Open Championship.