NAIROBI, Kenya, March 10- President Uhuru Kenyatta commended Greg Snow and Dismas Indiza for their splendid performance during the just concluded Barclays Kenya Open despite local golfers failing to land the trophy for the 47th year.
The Head of State who was at hand to present trophies as the European Challenge Tour event ended at Karen Country Club on Sunday, pointed out establishment of golf courses across the country will encourage inter-County tournaments which will advance the quest for real peace, harmonious co-existence and social integration.
Snow carded 282 for the tournament for jointed tenth as he finished as the highest placed Kenyan for the second year in a row while Indiza, a shot back, was tied for 13th.
The pair were the only locals to make the cut as the country’s wait for a first domestic Kenya Open winner rolls over to the 48th year.
Jacob Okello is the closest the country has come to glory after he lost the 1998 edition on sudden death tee-off.
Jake Roos of South Africa won the tournament after a dramatic final day where Snow and Indiza who were a shot and two shots off the lead at the start of the final day faltered.
Roos was awarded 32,000 Euros with Andrein Bernadet of France who tied with Lasse Jensen from Denmark taking home 16,000 Euros each for tying in second.
The President added the fact the game of golf is re-asserting itself as a popular contemporary sport cannot be gainsaid; hence the need for golf clubs in the country to designate days and time for school children to learn and play the game on their courses.
“Worldwide, the game is making its way back to the Olympic Games. I am informed it will be played in the 2016 edition of the Olympic Games.
“I also understand that at a lower level, the game will be played by the youth in the Youth Africa Games, which will take place in Botswana, and the Youth Olympic Games to be held in China this year,” he underscored.
Retired president and patron of Kenya Golf Union, Mwai Kibaki, called for a proper framework for the game to be put in place to encourage more Kenyans to take up the sport.
“To this end, I strongly urge county-level golf start-up to link up with the Kenya Golf Union in order to establish a unified framework for a more energized county-based golf circuit across the country,” Kibaki noted.