The 99th Edition of the Tannahill Shield tournament kicks off today at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
Regarded as one of the most prestigious amateur golf events in sub–Saharan Africa, the tournament will bring together the best amateur players from nine teams from Nairobi, Mombasa, and the Western region of Kenya.
This year’s participating teams include Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Muthaiga Country Club, Karen Country Club, Vetlab Sports Club, Railway Golf Club, Western Kenya, Mombasa Golf Club, Limuru Country Club and the defending champions Sigona Golf Club.
The main tournament will be held from Good Friday (March 29) to Easter Sunday (March 31)
On Monday and Tuesday (March 25 and 26), it will be the day for the Senior Tannahill Tournament, which is open for golfers over the age of 55 years.
Seniors from the Muthaiga Golf Club are the defending champions, having won last year.
There will be a Junior Tannahill where youngsters from Muthaiga Golf Club will also try to defend the title they won last year.
The Junior tournament will be held over two days, Monday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
The tournament will be held after the main tournament to accommodate juniors who will be doing exams the week before the tournament.
Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Captain, Dr Richard Owino, said, unlike other golf events, the Tannahill Golf Tournament is played by teams, instead of individuals.
“The teams of amateur golfers from various clubs showcase their golfing skills and team spirit, whilst enjoying the company of other competing golfers,” he said.
“The tournament this year will serve as a countdown to the 100th year of the Easter Tournament which we will host next year,’’ added the captain.
“Plans are already in place to ensure that the centenary tournament lives up to the occasion.”
Sigona Golf Club’s Captain, Pratik Sanghrajka, they are ready to defend their title.
“As the defending champions, we have been working hard in our practice sessions to retain the winners’ title two years in a row. It’s game on for us!” he said.
Royal Nairobi Golf Club, founded in 1906, is the only club in Kenya with royal status and it reciprocates with all other Royal chartered clubs worldwide.
The Tannahill Shield is the brainchild of Major Arthur Tannahill and was inaugurated in 1924 as an annual event when the general committee of the then Nairobi Golf Club invited teams representing Mombasa, Nyeri, Kiambu Nakuru, and Muthaiga to participate in the tournament.
Every club plays one match against each of the other clubs, eight players a side and the format was four-ball-better-ball match play.
It is the only three-way competitive foursomes match play tournament in the world. The Foursomes is a competition format in which a team comprises two players, and those two golfers alternate hitting the same ball sometimes called the “alternate shot” format.
The tournament this year is sponsored by Jamii Telecommunications as the title sponsor.