Indiza among golfers to earn ticket to lucrative KCB Karen Masters

Kenya golf ace and Mumias pro Dismas Indiza is among four Kenyan golfers who have earned automatic slots to the forthcoming inaugural KCB Karen Masters Golf tournament slated for March 17-19 at the par 71 Karen Country Club in Nairobi.

The other three are Stefan Andersen, Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige and Vetlab’s Brian Njoroge.

Andersen has been considered for the event owing to his current form and making the cut at the Johannesburg Open in South Africa recently while Indiza, Ngige and Njoroge have been picked for making the cut at last year’s Barclays Kenya Open at the same venue.

The quartet will be among 22 Kenyans and 46 European Challenge Tour professional golfers who will contest the master’s tournament meant to mark the 80 years existence of posh, green and exclusive Karen Country Club.

The Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) chairman Jacob Okello said the remaining 18 local golfers will be selected from other subsequent qualifying tournaments.

Okello explained that the 22 local golfers will also form Team Kenya for the 49th edition of Barclays Kenya Open slated for March 23 - 26 at Muthaiga Golf Club.

The 46 European Challenge Tour pros will be paired with local amateurs for a two day Pro-Am event which will run between on March 17 -18 before facing off the local professionals for the blue jacket event , whose total prize money is Sh1.5M, on March 19 at the venue.

English national Din Widdie, who has pocketed €1,438,839 in prize money so far at various high profile tournaments across the world, will be the man to watch.

The international pros for the tournament are mostly drawn from England, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Denmark and France among other countries.

Tournament Director Andy Watt said most of the golfers in the European Challenge Tour have been invited to use the Karen Masters to acclimatise ahead of their participation in the Barclays Kenya Open.

KCB has sponsored the stroke play format tournament to a tune of Sh30 million.