NAIROBI, Kenya, August 28- The team of Abbas Nasser, David Kigomo, Giginder Padam and John Wangai are the winners of the 2011 Dasani Golf Gala.
The quartet from the Railway Golf Club emerged victorious at the Grand Finale, held at the Karen Country Club, after amassing 116 points, beating 34 other teams from around the country.
With victory the will now travel as VIP guests to the Coca-Cola sponsored TOUR Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Hhandicap-22 Nasser, led from the front, scoring an impressive 46 stable-ford points to lead his side to the crown.
Nasser, who has been playing golf for only 18-months, levelled the opening par-four first hole, followed this with a double bogey on the dog-leg right par-five second, before recording par at the fourth for a first nine score of 21.
On the back nine, Nasser made five pars and four bogeys to finish with 25 stable ford points.
“Ever since we qualified for the Grand Finale, I have been putting in extra hours on the practice range and today, that has paid off,” the team anchor said.
He dedicated his round to his father who is currently ill. “My dad is not well at the moment and that was a challenge for me, this victory is for him.”
Padam, a fashion designer, playing off a handicap of 14, added 37 to the team score and Kigomo contributed 33. Wangai, a one-handicap golfer and the golf administrator at Railway, was the team’s weakest link with 31.
Congratulating the winners, Coca-Cola General Manager for East Africa, Peter Njonjo, wished the winners a wonderful trip to Atlanta.
The Sigona team of Kamal Sehni, Sunny Syan, RS Matharu and Ted Macharia finished second, just a point shy of the tickets to Atlanta. S
Sehni and Syan both scored 39 as Matharu added 37 to take their team total to 115. Macharia, a former Kenya Gold Union Secretary, was the team’s weakest link with a commendable 32 points.
The Nandi Bears team of John Anyonyi, Wycliffe Kamanga, Abraham Maichi and Maurice Wanjea finished third with 114. Kamanga led his team with 43 points, Wanjea added 39 whilst Maichia contributed 38 points for a total of 114 points. For a long time through the day, this team looked sure of victory.
Chet Mukherjee, a handicap-19 golfer bagged the individual prize with 43-points. Mukherjee’s partners unfortunately did not come to the party and the dream for Atlanta faded fast. Hanvit Shah from Sigona and Karen’s John Muiruri finished second and third respectively after scoring 40 each. Karen’s John Musunga was the guest winner with 42 beating Gilbert Maina to second place.
