Weekend clubs round-up: Taib claims top honours at Nyali Golf Club

The outgoing Nyali Golf and Country Club Chairman Keli Muindi (middle) ,flanked by the club's outgoing Captain Taib Bajaber (right) presents the winning trophy to Abdalla taib (left) at the club house in Mombasa on Saturday,026th January,2019 night.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Little-known golfer survives a countback to a team of 212 golfers.

Little-known golfer Abdalla Taib from Coast won the Chairman’s (Keli Muindi) 2018  Prize at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club, in Mombasa, on Saturday.

The home golfer, playing off handicap 17, carded a two-way countback score of 39 stableford points to emerge the overall winner after beating a team of 212 golfers.

The tournament, which was hosted to bid farewell to the outgoing club Chairman Keli Muindi, was jointly sponsored by Kelon Insurance brokers, East African Breweries,  Kitui Flour Mills and friends of the chairman.

Taib sank two rare birdies at the par three-sixth and par four-12th holes before adding six level pars against a mixed bogey shots in the rest of both nines to register his maiden victory.

“It’s been long since I won a tournament. I played really well today and all thanks go to the Almighty God, my playing partners, sponsors and the Chairman for such a great tourney,” said Taib.

He had tied on the same score with club mates handicap 17 Qamar Naqvi, who was the men winner and men runner-up handicap 16 Gabriel Gakuo. Handicap 8 Said Bajaber, on 38 points, settled for the men third slot.

Handicap 17 Wambui Warui, also from Nyali, posted 38 points to claim the ladies’ title while club mate handicap 22 Alice Wahome was the runner-up on 36 points.

Dominic Makau, playing off handicap 13, claimed the past Chairman’s prize on 34 points while handicap 16 Akram Sheikh, on 32 points, was the best senior.

Handicap 27 Swaleh Taib, on 36 points, won in the juniors’ category.

The outgoing chairman Muindi thanked members for supporting him during his tenure and urged them to maintain the spirit with the incoming chairman John Stokes.

“We have also initiated many projects at the club and I kindly urge the incoming team to finalise the projects,” said Muindi.