NAIROBI, Kenya, February 20- Charles Ngunjiri and Watson Mburugu set a new record score at the Tusker Malt Golf Carnival Championship played at the Thika Sports Club.
Playing in unusually hot and windy conditions, the pair blazed through the first nine holes, oblivious of the strong gust blowing from the North, securing an impressive 27 points.
Ngunjiri, a handicap 27 golfer was in true form through the first six holes, scoring pars on the first, third, fourth and fifth holes.
On the relatively short par-four second, a way-ward tee shot found the bush to the right of the fairway and a bogey was a good score in the end.
Mburugu, playing off handicap-16, scored well on the par-five first and again on the par-four fifth where a good drive and a drilled 7-iron resulted into a birdie.
On the back nine, the pair, now high on the sound of victory, stumbled on the tough par-four 12th, managing a double bogey and again on the toughest hole in Thika, the dogleg left, par-four 17th where they Ngunjiri just managed to secure a single point.
But the total of 27 and 22 for a total of 49 was all the pair needed for a well deserved victory.
The pair of Peter Maina and David Mbugua finished in second place with 48. The pair, both playing off handicaps of 28, made maximum use of their handicap strokes to secure 23 points on the front nine and 25 points on the second nine.
The team of Tom Ochieng and Francis Karu finished on 47; the pair started off well, making 26 on the front nine. However, early thoughts of victory and nerves soon set in and on the back nine, the pair could only manage an average 21.
The pair of Anthony Kioi, playing off handicap 17 and Anthony Mwenja, playing off 15, finished in fourth with 46 points the team of Jeremiah Karanja and Steve Mbuthia returned fifth on count back with the same tally.
The visiting pairing of Tim Gitonga and Tabitha Muthinga were the guest winners on 49, equally the winning score of the day.
Gitonga scored well through the first nine leaving Muthinga to handle the back nine. Their see-saw performance on alternate holes ensured high scoring through the 18-holes.
Congratulating the winners, Kenya Breweries Limited’s Effie Thiongo said she was encouraged by the both the condition of the golf course and the level of performance.
“The highest winning score at the Tusker Malt Golf Carnival has been shattered here at Thika and by two different teams,” Thiongo said. “This demonstrates the level of team work present and the comradeship that Thika is renowned for.”
The Carnival now moves to the Karen Country Club.
