The game of golf has seen tremendous growth over the past decade in Kenya. Infact, Kenya is starting to stand out as the next golfing hotspot in Africa, attracting enthusiasts from around the globe.
In 2020, Kenya was named Africa’s leading Golf Destination by World Golf Awards, beating countries like Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa which are considered as the cream of Africa in golf.
Karen Country Club was the place to be at this past weekend, as the curtains came down on one of the most popular golf series this year in Kenya. The team of Erick Mutai, Julius Rono, Patrick Cheruiyot and Patrick Langat from Kericho Golf Club emerged the champions of the ‘Road to Gleneagles’ 2022 Johnnie Walker Golf Series.
The quartet posted a remarkable 111 joint points to floor a strong field of 100 top amateur golfers from across the country who participated in the Series’ Grand Finale that was held on Friday 20th May 2022, at the par-72 Karen Country Club. The team clinched the tournament’s overall prize – an all-expenses-paid for trip to visit and play at the iconic Gleneagles Golf Course in Scotland.
The ‘Road to Gleneagles’ Johnnie Walker Golf Series is part of the efforts by KBL to leverage sports to create more avenues for positive interaction with consumers of their various brands. The tournament has also provided an opportunity for amateur golfers around the country to showcase their talents.
Speaking during the tournament, KBL Managing Director John Musunga noted that the company had achieved its objectives. “We are very delighted to have conducted this series which has cemented our place in the Kenyan golf space. We have managed to achieve the objective that we set out to achieve with this series, which was first of all to offer golfers across the country a platform to play and sharpen their skills as part of our commitment to supporting the growth and development of golf in the country. We also sought to provide an opportunity for lucky golfers to visit and play a round of golf at the iconic Gleneagles Golf Course in Scotland, which I am certain is a dream destination for any avid golfer,” he said.
On the individual categories, Shadrack Ng’etich and Rose Mambo were the stars in the Longest Drive challenge in the men and ladies categories respectively, while Anthony Mulinge clinched the Nearest to the Pin prize. Meanwhile, Racheal Ndei posted 41 points to win the Guest Prize, beating second-placed Louisa Gitau who scored 38 points.
The Grand Finale featured twenty-five teams of four who qualified to play from the Eagle’s Round (Semi-Final) held at Muthaiga Golf Club who battled it out for the ultimate honor of being crowned the overall Series champion.
The Series which kicked off in November 2021 has seen over 3,000 golfers participating across 18 golf clubs in the country. The qualifying events were held at; VetLab Sports Club, Thika Greens Golf Resort, Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, Nakuru Golf Club, Kenya Railways Golf Club, Sigona Golf Club, Eldoret Club, Kericho Golf Club, Muthaiga Golf Club, Thika Sports Club, Nyali Golf & Country Club, Limuru Country Club, Karen Country Club, Nanyuki Sports Club, Kiambu Golf Club, Kakamega Golf Club, Royal Nairobi Golf Club, and Nyanza Club.