Sterling show at Keringet Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championships

By Oscar Pilipili

Justus Madoya of Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort displayed sterling performance after he collected aggregate 290 gross to emerge victorious in Keringet Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Karen Country Club.

The Championship was the 13th round of 14 tournaments sponsored by Pure Mineral Water Keringet.

The competition that was played in four stages saw Madoya hit 73 gross in first round and added 72, 72 and 73 in last three rounds to beat runner-up Mathew Omondi of Vet Lab to top position with a single point.

Omondi achieved 291 gross (72, 74, 73, 72) to occupy runner-up position and relegate Anthony Kinuthia to third position with 292 gross (73, 74, 74, 71).

Jay Sandhu collected 295 gross (75, 73, 77, 70) to finish fourth overall followed by Anthony Murage (295) who beat one of pre-tournament favorites Nelson Simwa of Vet Lab on count back to finish fifth.

Valuable points

Tony Omuli of Golf Park came seventh on 296 gross (76, 72, 74, 74) while series leader David Opati also of Golf Park managed eighth position on 298 gross (72, 76, 77, 73).

The victory handed the Madoya valuable 16 points and he now occupies seventh position with 29.50 points in latest Goty rankings.

Omondi was allocated 14 points for finishing second while the second runner-up Kinuthia added 12 points to his Goty tally.

Jay Sandu and Murage bagged eight points each, Omuli had four while Opati managed just two off the Championship.

Opati still tops

Despite failing to impress in the Strokeplay Championship, Opati still maintained his top position in Goty ranking where he commands with 86.60 points with three more events to complete the series.

According to latest ranking released after the Strokeplay Championship, Simwa occupies runner-up position on 76.75 followed by Karanja (57.60), Omondi (57), CJ Wangai (54), Omuli (42.60), Madoya (29.50), Kinuthia (24.75), Robinson Owiti (24.50) and John Ndichu of Sigona wraps up the top 10 places with 23.75.

Other results of Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship indicate that Murage was nett winner on 281 followed by Adel Balala (283) and Reuben Njoroge (287).

The Goty series which run through the year opens doors for young amateurs who not only go on to play against professionals in the Kenya Open but are also selected into the national team.

The tournament has discovered the tournament has discovered some of the best golfers in the country including Sullivan Muthugia the 2010 winner who has since turned professional, Francis Kimani  the 2008 and 2009 Goty winner as well as Greg Snow (2007), Nicholas Rokoine (2006) and Brian Njoroge (2005).