John Mburu won the Men’s Division One title of the second leg of the 2024 NCBA Golf Series played at the 100-year-old Nakuru Golf Club on Saturday.
Mburu, a member of Nakuru Golf Club, carded a solid round of 37 Stableford points.
Playing off handicap 6, Mburu shrugged off stiff competition from clubmate Nanu Hassanali (handicap 7), who proved to be a formidable opponent, securing the runner-up position in the division with a commendable score of 36 Stableford points.
In the ladies’ category, home player Emma Pennington (handicap 7) demonstrated her prowess, clinching victory with a score of 33 Stableford points.
In Division Two, handicap 16 Joseph Munene’s 42 points were enough to earn him the top honours, among the men in the category, while Esther Karuga (handicap 18) reigned supreme in the ladies category, triumphing with a score of 39 points.
In Division Three, Esther Thuku playing off handicap 35, emerged triumphant after amassing a total of 46 points.
Meanwhile, Tirus Mwithiga, NCBA Group Retail Director, showcased his golfing prowess by securing victory in the Staff category with a commendable score of 35 points.
At the same time, junior Gurtej Sahota playing off handicap 18, displayed exceptional skills, posting an impressive 33 points to claim the bragging rights among the juniors.
In the subsidiary categories, Hussein Hassanali and Gabriel Gathure emerged victorious in the first and second Nines respectively after posting 21 points each.
The Longest Drive Challenge was claimed by Ann Nduati and Enock Ogembo among the ladies and men, respectively, while Christopher Makomere clinched victory in the Nearest to the Pin Challenge.
Gitiria Kamau emerged as the Guest winner to close the accolades for the day.
Speaking during the prize-giving ceremony of the tournament NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said they firmly believe in the power of sports as a catalyst for positive change and community development.
“The NCBA Golf Series serves as a platform not only to promote the sport of golf but also to foster inclusivity and engagement within our communities. This series also aligns with our broader sustainability platform, Change The Story, through which we have pledged to champion inclusive communities through sports development,” said Gachora.
He said NCBA is proud to be part of the growing golf community in Nakuru.
“We are committed to making golfing a better experience for everyone who plays it, and we highly value all our golfers,” he said.
Nakuru Golf Club captain Mathew Maiyo said they are proud to have witnessed remarkable talent and sportsmanship displayed during this second leg of the 2024 NCBA Golf Series.
“With a commendable turnout of 167 golfers from various regions of the Rift Valley region, today’s tournament was nothing short of spectacular and we are grateful to NCBA for the continued support. Today’s event reaffirmed our club’s commitment to providing a premier golfing experience for players of all levels,” said Maiyo.
Six of the top golfers from the Nakuru event have secured their slots to play at the Series 2024 Grand Finale.
They include the Division 1 Male and Lady Winners, Division 2 Male and Lady Winners, Division 3 Overall Winner, and the Overall Junior Winner.
Following the Nakuru event, the series now heads to Eldoret Sports Club which will host the next leg on 6th April.