Golf: Johnny come lately wins Western Jazz title

Frank Munyuah tee-off on the Par-3 15th during the Western Jazz Golf Day, January 19, 2019. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Malfunctioning alarm almost ruins golfer’s day

Handicap 27 John Macharia arrives late for his 7am tee-off but joins party to bag memorable trophy.

A rushed tee-off wasn’t enough to deny John Macharia the overall title during the Western Jazz Golf day at the par 71 Kenya Railway Golf Club, in Nairobi, over the weekend.

Macharia, playing off handicap 27, was late for his 7am tee-off and only caught up with the rest of his paring on the Par-5-hole number one green.

Here, he bogeyed after his second shot took a dip into the protective water hazard forcing him to take a two-stroke penalty drop.

He bogeyed the Par- 4 second hole before sinking a par on the Par-4 third. Macharia hooked his tee-shot off the deck on Par-3 third hole, had a bad kick into the protective bunker from where he was well-out, managing a double-bogey saving a deserved point.

The golfer then parred the Par-4 fifth, bogeyed the Par-3 sixth, double-bogeyed the Par-5 seventh before closing his outward nine with back-to-back bogeys on the Par-3 eighth and Par-5 ninth for 27 stableford points.

At the turn, a psyched up Macharia inked a par on the Par-5 10th before birdying the Par-4 11th but fumbled with his tee-shot on the Par-4 12th which licked into the woods from where he punched low onto the fringe.

He remedied his scorecard with two back-to-back pars on the Par-4 13th and Par-3 14th. Picked a double-bogey on the Par-4 15th but scratched the Par-3 16th.

“What a great way to set sail for 2019 golfing journey,” said Macharia.

“I was late for my 7am tee-off after my alarm clock malfunctioned, but I somehow managed to make it to the club. The course was wet from the on-set. I was driving well and that helped a lot in gaining ground. My recovery shots were equally good but at times, I struggled with my approach shots.”

“I have been hitting the range and practicing a lot lately with the sole intent of bettering my game and lower my handicap to a respectable one. All that is not in vain as today’s round points to some improvement. I hope for better tidings, God willing.”