GOLF-Karanga Celebrates Double Win after Windsor Classic Victory;

-Professionals and Ladies also Took Part with Winners Walking home with Cash Prizes;

-Event was part of Training for Weekend’s Magical Kenya Open;

GOLFNEWSINKS;

Kiambu’s Michael Karanga celebrated a back to back win after emerging the overall winner of the 2023 Windsor Classic  Championship that ended at the  par 72 Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club Course, off Kiambu road on Sunday,5^th,March,2023 evening.

This tournament organized by the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) is the Second leg in this year’s 2023 Kenya Golf Amateur Champion (KAGC) Calendar series, after the Sigona Bowl that was won by Karanga three weeks ago at Sigona Golf Club.

Karanga  rounded  up  the three days  tourney with a total of 218 gross  to  claim  the Windsor  Classic 2023 Champion and bagged  the winning prize money  of Ksh.115,000.

The Golfer started off  on a high note taking day  one lead on Friday with  a one under par 71 gross, dropped  with a disastrous seven over par 79 gross in the second  day  on Saturday but finally  found back  his bearings  in the last day  on Sunday by amazingly  returning an excellent  four under par 68 gross  to take the lead.

“It has been a tough three days of consistency on the course but since I had prepared well in advance everything went on well. Am happy for the win and looking forward to more successful victories, “said Karanga.

His closest challenger was Godfrey  Nsubuga  from the  Uganda Golf  Club  who missed  the lead  by  two strokes  carding a total  of 220 gross from the three days 74,76 and 70 gross to happily  fly home with the second  cash prize money of Ksh.69,000.

Muthaiga’s Bhavnish Chandaria was third with two strokes behind with a total from 73, 75, and 74 gross and pocketed Ksh.46, 000.00.

The Event was sponsored by Glenlivet that attracted a total of 126 Amateurs including Ladies with top 58 players and ties making the cut after two rounds and twelve Professionals also taking part in two rounds.

More thirteen Amateurs among the top who also walked home with cash prizes from the total kitty of Ksh.500, 000 set aside as Prize money for all the KGU events.

This tournament that was also  a training in preparation for next weekend’s  2023 Magical Kenya  Open at Muthaiga Golf Club Course, saw Kenya’s Professional Riz Charania  got Ksh.45,000  after carding a total of 215gross  to emerge the winner  in the Professional Category.

His Colleagues David Wakhu  was the runners up on  a total of 218 gross going home with Ksh.27,000 and taking  the third slot was Ksh.18,000 richer Kevin Mabele  who was third  on a total of 220 gross.

Vipingo’s Naomi Wafula emerged the top Lady Golfer out of the five with a total Gross of 231 to win ksh.18, 000.

The Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) events  has now been  official  allowing Professional Golfers to be playing after an agreement reached between Kenya Golf Union (KGU) and the Professional Golf of Kenya (PGK)  with Lady Golfers  who will also be playing after their earlier request through their Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU)  was also  granted.

According to Kenya Golf Union Vice Chairman and Tournament Director Philip Ochola, the Professional Golfers will be participating in addition to lady golfers who have been admitted to the KAGC events and the professionals will, however, compete for a different prize purse.

Ochola said that with a purse of Us Dollars 1,000 per event all the KAGC that will run under the new R&A rules, will see a participating Amateurs win a cash purse prizes of Ksh.500, 000, Courtesy of the Sponsor.

“The sponsorships that individual players get, improves their quality of play, and more so develops their resilience and mental ability to withstand pressure during competitions while the participating players will also have an opportunity to be included in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

He noted that apart from having cash awards and allowing elite ladies to play in this year’s 26 KAGC events, the Union had earlier received a letter from the Chairman of the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Charles.J.Wangai who requested the participation of professional golfers and have a separate purse money in all the lined up 26 KAGC events for the year.

Wangai is upbeat about having more playing opportunities for the professionals and believes the opportunity will go a long way in improving the standards and quality of the game of golf in the country.

The Windsor classic was the second leg in this year’s Kenya Golf Union (KGU) calendar of events after the Sigona Bowl played from 20th to 22nd January 2023 at Sigona Golf Club.

Action now shifts to Muthaiga from 25th to 26th March for the Muthaiga Open, before moving to other Clubs across the Country with the final leg set for the Nyali Open from 8th to 10th December at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa County where the Golfer of the year 2023 will named and crowned.

WINDSOR CLASSIC 2023 TOP LEADING AMATEURS;

Michael Karanga-71-79-68-218gross (Ksh.115,000.00),Godfrey Nsubuga-74-76-70-220gross(Ksh.69,000.00),Bhavnish Chandaria-73-75-74-222gross (Ksh.46,000.00)-John Lejirma-75-74-75- 224gross (Ksh.35,000.00),Josphat Rono-73-73-79-225gross (Ksh.28,000.00),Edgar Brian-75-79-74-228gross (ksh.12 23,000.00),Ebill Omollo-75-76-79-230gross (Ksh.21,000.00),Peter Macharia-79-74-78-231gross (Ksh.18,000.00),Naomi Wafula-76-79-76-231gross (Ksh.18,000.00),John Gitonga-82-74-77-233gross (ksh.16,000.00),Robert Odero-80-78-75-233gross (Ksh.16,000.00),Paul Ngugi-78-81-75-234gross (Ksh.12,000.00),Sam Kingori-78-76-80-234gross (Ksh.12,000.00),James Kamenchu-77-81-76-234gross (Ksh.12,000.00),Sammy Mulama-75-77-82-234gross (Ksh.12,000.00),Dickson Barasa-74-80-80-234gross (Ksh.12,000.00);

WINDSOR CLASSI 2023 TOP LEADING PROFESSIONALS;

Riz Charania-215gross (Ksh.45,000.00),David Wakhu-218gross (Ksh.27,000.00),Kevin Mabele-220gross (Ksh.18,000.00),Jacob Okello-222gross (Ksh.14,000.00),John Limb-224gross (Ksh.11,000.00),Tony Omuli-227gross (Ksh.9,000.00),Edwin Mudanyi-228gross (Ksh.12 8,000.00),Dennis Saikwa-230gross (Ksh.7,000.00),George Felix-232gross (Ksh.6,000.00),Anil Shah-WD-(Khs.5,000.00):

ENDS;