Some action from the 2017 Karen Masters
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16- South African pro Thabang Simon strongly believes that he will put up a good showing at the new tournament on the Sunshine Tour, the KCB Karen Masters at Karen Country Club in Kenya which tees off on Thursday.
The event which has attracted 32 pros and four amateurs from Kenya will be curtain raised by the Pro-am Tuesday.
“I have got a good feeling I am going to do well in Kenya. That is pretty sure. I have been there and I know the course. The way I am striking the ball is good. I have got a chance of doing well,” Simon said as he prepares for the tournament.
Even though his memories of playing in the East African country are no longer so clear, but he is optimistic that he will again produce good results as he did before.
“The last time I played Kenya was in 2009 or 2008, something like that. I played twice or three times on that course. I did well on my first and second year, but I missed the cut in the third year. I was not playing well that year,” he said.
But the Soweto Country Club player will have to improve his putting which saw him missing the cut at the Sun City Challenge last month and Big Easy Tour 6 last week.
“At Sun City I did not putt well. I hit the ball well, but my putting still needs some attention. I have been struggling with my putting for the past few weeks. I lost at the IGT as well and if I had putted well I could have won that thing. My putting was just out. But from tee to green I am happy. I am hitting a lot of greens and lot of fairways. I will just have to make those putts,” Simon said.
The 42-year-old player who makes up the field of 156 entries for the KBC Karen Masters is pleased with the discipline he introduced into his game of late which he believes helped him to do well on the Big Easy Tour, besides missing the cut at BET 6 last week.
“I have just changed my mindset, just practice, get on the golf course. Just play your normal game. I stopped some other things like alcohol, I cut those things out. I have been striking the ball well, but my mind was not that strong. I just told myself that I have to change that mindset and focus on good golf,” the member of Gary Player Class of 2018-19 said.
The Gary Player Class is the Sunshine Tour’s development programme which benefits from the longstanding support of the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB), founded in 1999 by Johann Rupert as the official body for golf development in South Africa, as well as the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation (EEFF) in a collective effort to use golf to improve the lives of disadvantaged South Africans.
Kenya will peg its hopes on Mumias long hitter Dismas Indiza, Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige, Kopan Timbe and Nelson Mudanyi among others.
