NAIROBI, Kenya, September 24- Bo Ciera, playing off handicap-2, led the winners in the penultimate round of the Natural Sweetness Golf Series at Royal Nairobi Golf Club over the weekend.
A record field of 195 players teed off for Mumias Sugar Company-sponsored event with Ciera scoring 73 nett in the 0-5 handicap category.
Youngster, Jonathan Chebukati (5), was the other low handicap qualifier three strokes back at 76.
In the category of 6-10 handicappers, J. Ichangi beat G. Maina on count-back as both players joined the party heading to Limuru in November with 70 apiece.
Oscar Ikinu hit one of the best scores of the day, 68, to top the category of 11-15 handicapped players, two strokes better than fellow qualifier G.M. Njiiri.
S. Lokonyo and K. Pirbhai went through from a host of other players in the 16-20 handicap category, scoring 69 and 71 respectively.
N. Ooko (69) and S. Lakhani (71) were the top performers in the handicap 21-25 category.
Satish Shah and K. Vital concluded the list of 12 qualifiers from the Royal with impressive scores of 67 and 68, respectively in the 26-36 category.
They join another 140 players from across the country, who has qualified for the November 2 at Limuru Country Club.
Muthaiga’s Philip Kungu beat about 30 guests invited to the tournament to make away with the guest prize, having scored 69 ahead of E. Ouko (71) and S. Karemu (71) in second and third place.
Mumias Sugar Company Chief Executive, Peter Kebati, playing with single handicappers Ben Handa and Vice-Captain Jack Okuku, as well as Victor Kidiwa took the staff prize with a respectable score of 71.
The final qualifier is scheduled for Nyanza Club on October 13.
“This was a really good turnout and goes to show how much our series has grown in one short year and become popular and is an encouragement to us as we head into the finals in Limuru,” said Kebati during the prize presentation ceremony.
“We know that the professionals will add that little bit more flavour to our season-ender and are thinking of how we can have them involved in the finals,” he added.
The series was launched in March 2012 to take golf to over 30 clubs with events in 14 different venues countrywide.
