Ciera shines

By Gilbert Wandera and Maarufu Mohamed

Handicap two Bo Ciera lead the list of winners after scoring 73 nett in the 0-5 handicap category in Saturday’s qualifying round of the Natural Sweetness golf series at Royal Nairobi Club.

Youngster, Jonathan Chebukati (5), was the other low handicap qualifier three strokes back at 76 nett.

In the category of 6-10 handicappers, J Ichangi beat G Maina on countback as both players joined the party heading to Limuru in November for the last leg of the qualifiers.

They scored 70 nett. Oscar Ikinu hit one of the best scores of the day, 68 nett, to top the category of 11-15 handicapped players, two strokes better than fellow qualifier GM Njiiri who penciled 70 nett.

S Lokonyo and K Pirbhai went through from a host of other players in the 16-20 handicap category, scoring 69 nett and 71 nett. N Ooko  (69 nett) and S Lakhani (71 nett) were the top performers  in the handicap 21-25 category.

Satish Shah and K Vital concluded the list of 12 qualifiers from the Royal Nairobi Golf Club event with impressive scores of 67 nett and 68 nett in the handicap 26-36 category. They join another 140 players from across the country, who have qualified for the November 2 finals at Limuru Country Club. Muthaiga’s Philip Kungu beat about 30 guests invited to the tournament to make away with the guest prize, having scored 69 nett ahead of E Ouko (71 nett) and S Karemu (71 nett) in second and third place.

Mumias Sugar Company Chief Executive, Peter Kebati, playing with single handicappers Ben Handa and Vice Captain Jack Okuku, as well as Victor Kidiwa took the staff prize with a respectable score of 71 nett. The final qualifier is scheduled for Nyanza Club on October 13.

At Karen Country Club, a team comprising of Naomi Wafula, Agnes Nyakio, Loise Akinyi and Mary Monari won the Nancy Millar trophy. The winning team collected 213 points.

In Mombasa youngster Rajiv Dhutia posted a sterling 43 stable ford points to emerge the overall winner of the Samsung 2012 Golf Tournament played at the par 71 Nyali golf and Country Club course on Saturday.

Playing off handicap 13,Dhutia rolled six level pars on six holes (2,4,5,6,8,9) and dropped bogey shots on three  holes for three over par 39 in the fore nines.

He improved his stakes in the back nines hitting two birdies on the par five- eleventh and the par five-17 holes and rolled four level pars (10,14,15,18) and a mixed pot of bogeys to round up with another three over par 38 and claim the victory.