Karuga soars high at Zain Challenge

By James Waindi

Esther Karuga overcame a field of 93 participants to emerge the overall winner of the General Motors Eastern Africa Golf Day at Nakuru Golf club at the weekend.

Karuga, playing off handicap 19 before the event, threatened to shatter the course record as she posted a marvelous 27 stableford points in the first nine, before picking 18 points in the back nine for a total of 45. The result saw her handicap improve to 17 by the end of the day.

She started off with a bogey on the first hole but recovered to post a resilient 27 points at the end of the first nine. Slight drizzles threatened to hamper Karuga’s cause at the start of the second nine, but she soldiered on for the famous feat.

Double bogeys

She had double bogeys on holes 10 and 11 but recovered with a level par on the 12th. An impressive birdie on the par 5, 13th hole, followed by four bogeys in the remaining holes saw her tumble and finish the second nine on 18.

Trilok Varia, playing off handicap 14, amassed 42 points (22, 20) to finish in the runner-up position, while handicap 21 John Mwangoh combined 18 and 22 points to finish third after beating Dharma Sharma 22, 18 on countback.

The longest drive prize went to Stephen Mugunyu and South African Lady golfer Kim Brown took home the nearest to the pin prize.

Meanwhile, the fifth Zain Media Golf Challenge once again proved a cracker at the nine-hole Golf Park course.

The day-long event was for the second time broken by a countback with Tony Timase of Citizen Television having the last laugh.

After two futile attempts, Timase finally outsmarted fourth round winner, Kimaru Kipchillat of the Presidential Press Service and Charles Kerich of National Star, who holds the second and third round titles.

Kipchillat bogeyed the short-hole eighth to beat Kerich on countback with 55 gross.

Both players scored triple bogeys on the par-five ninth hole but Timase bogeyed eighth, with Kipchillat and Kerich scoring double bogeys. Then Kipchillat claimed second spot when he double bogeyed seventh with Kerich taking a triple bogey.

Efforts by Kerich to reclaim the top position seemed steady as he improved from a sixth position in the fourth round to lose on countback to Timase and Kipchillat.

Standard Group’s James Waindi, who bogeyed par four fourth and short hole eighth, claimed fourth place on 57.

Limuru: KLGU Open meeting, Bronxe division winner- V. Pandya 144nett; R/Up- W. Mululu 148nett; Third-D. Rhynes 149 nett. Silver division winner- Rose Mambo 140nett; R/Up-S. Scroggie 143nett; Third-Mwongeli Nzioka 146nett; gross winner- A Mululu 190 gross.

Kiambu: Friends of captain, overall winner- Eng Joel Wanyoike 41pts; R/Up- Githae Kimangi 40pts C/B; Third- George Gatimu 40pts; Lady winner- GK Athiru 36pts; Guest winner- C Kibiru 35pts C/B Z Wachira; Junior winner- SN Kiarro 35pts.