NAIROBI, Kenya, July 18 – Two-legs for professional golfers have been included in the 2014/15 Barclays Amateur Golf Circuit roster for the first time with the seven-month long tournament set to tee-off at Nakuru Country Club on August 16.
The pros will be using the tournament to prepare for next year’s Kenya Open that is part of the European Challenge Tour and will compete over four days during the Nairobi and Kitale legs of the series where Sh500, 000 (USD 5,695) is up for grabs for the winner.
The third edition of the event, has attracted 35 clubs with over 2, 800 amateur golfers expected to battle it out for the top prize in addition to the top 20 finishers securing slots in the 2015 Kenya Open ProAm that will be held at Karen Country Club.
“We are going to get more participants in this tournament because we have many clubs and the prize money is fantastic, this is the way forward where winners will get a chance to participate in the pro-am at next year’s Kenya Open,” Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Francis Okwara said when launching the event Friday.
“For the professionals, there is nothing good as using a competition as part of their practice, so this is a nice platform for,” he added.
The series that will be hosted in 14 clubs among them Machakos, Nyanza, Nyali and most of those in Nairobi is open to golfers with valid Council of National Golf Unions handicaps and junior golfers ranging from 13 to 18 years.
Organisers will conduct golf clinics as part of the circuit in Nairobi under the guidance of professionals before each tee-off.
“Our main focus is to help the beginners grow in the sport and that’s the reason we are conducting the clinics that we have already started. We expect youths to participate and learn the sport or for those who want to improve their handicap this coaching will really help them,” Director of Consumer Banking, Barclays Bank of Kenya, Zahid Mustafa, stated.