Golf: Rookie tag fails to derail Wanjiru

Coast rookie Hellen Wanjiru upset a large number of 182 golfers, among them veterans, by carding 43 stableford points to emerge the overall winner of the 2021 Mabati Rolling Mills (MRM) tournament, at Nyali Golf and Country Club, on Saturday.

Playing off handicap 34 Wanjiru braved the current scorching sun to bag 22 and 21 points in both nines.

There was a moment of celebrations from Wanjiru’s friends after the memorable triumph.

“Since I got my handicap last month, I have never looked back and I've been practicing quite hard especially with my putts and swings. I'm happy its beginning to yield some fruits. I would also like to thank the club, my playing partners and sponsors of this successful event,” said Wanjiku.

Handicap 18 Mwangi Mburu was the Men winner with a countback score of 40 points, after tying on  points with Men runner-up handicap 25 Soemu Oshita and third-placed handicap 25 Ushwin Khana.

Gladys Mweni, playing off handicap 35, was the lady winner on 38 points.

The Best Engineer Men prize was won by handicap 27 David Kimingi, with 37 points, while handicap 24 Jacinta Mwangi, on 34poins, claimed the ladies' title. Handicap 11 Cleophas Makau was the best  Senior Engineer with 36 points.

Rasmeet Kaur, playing off handicap 22, carded 41 points to win the Junior Prize, while handicap 40 Rose Njogu, who had a score 43 points, won the Best Effort prize for High Handicappers.

At  the nine-hole Machakos Golf Course, handicap 37 Armstrong Theuri proved he was a star after carding an excellent 41 points to emerge the overall winner of the 2021 Rotary Charity  tournament that attracted some 120 golfers.