Golf: Late birdie gives Hirani victory at Nyali Club

Hatua Network's Co-founder & Director, Ms. Gabrielle Fondiller (right) presents a gift to the Petro Oil Kenya CEO Ben King'ori. [Maarufu Mohamed]

Home golfer Suresh Hirani’s patience and resilience was enough to give him victory in the 2020 Petro Oil Kenya Charity Golf tournament at Mombasa’s par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club course, at the weekend.

Although the handicap 19 Hirani had two level pars against a mixed pot of bogey shots in the front nine, he began on a false note with a horrendous play registering a back-to-back scratch on the par four-eight and the par four-ninth holes.

But he came back strongly in the back nine as he sank a lone birdie at the par four-16th hole with three level pars and more mixed bogey shots on the rest of the holes for a total of 39 stable points to emerge the overall winner.

Club mate handicap 14 Ian Marshal was the men winner on 37 points while handicap 29 Mahendra Patel was the men runner-up with 37 points.

Handicap 23 Joyce Kamau, on 36 points and handicap 13 Teresia Odoo on 33 points, were the lady winner and lady runner-up respectively.

Pervis Barnsley, playing off handicap 30, claimed the best senior prize on 31 points, while handicap 30 Aydan Jamal was the best Junior Prize on 37 points.