GOLF-Professionals Joins Amateurs at Windsor for the KAGC’S Second Series from Friday, 3rd March;

-Ladies Too will be in the Competition Led by Vipingo’s Wafula;

– Cash Prize Pool of Ksh.500, 000 is Up for Grabs;

BY GOLFNEWSLINKS REPORTER;

It’s now official for the Professional Golfers to be playing in all the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series events after an agreement reached between Kenya Golf Union (KGU) and the Professional Golf of Kenya (PGK).

This will now allow the Professionals to make their first appearances for the Second leg of the Kenya Golf Union Golf Amateur Championship (KAGC) in this year’s 2023 Windsor Classic Championship that kicks off this weekend at the  par 72 Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club Course, off Kiambu road from tomorrow,Friday,3^rd,March,2023.

Lady Golfers will also be playing after their earlier request through their Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU)  was also  granted.

According to a press released by Kenya Golf Union  (KGU) Vice Chairman and Tournament Director Philip Ochola, the three days tourney will end on Sunday.

He said that as a first, the Professional Golfers will be participating in the event in addition to lady golfers who have been admitted to the KAGC events and the professionals will, however, compete for a different prize purse.

This event organized by Kenya Golf Union that has attracted Amateurs with a handicap limit of 10.6 is sponsored by Glenlivet.

Ochola said yesterday that with a purse of Us Dollars 1,000 per event, this Windsor Classic, run under the new R&A rules, will see a participating Amateur win a cash purse of Ksh. 500,000, Courtesy of the .

He said this have been set aside for the top 20 amateurs based on the results over three days of 18 holes each  and a  cut for the top 48 amateurs and the top 12 professionals will be applied after two rounds.

“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 the 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.

Leading the pack at Windsor Classic is the reigning Sigona Bowl Champion Michael Karanga from Kiambu Golf Club who won the event three weeks ago with a final round of 10 under par setting the current course record at Sigona Golf Club.

Karanga expects a tough battle from John Lejirma of Kenya Railway Golf Club, who has also been in great form.

Vipingo’s Naomi Wafula leads the pack of Ladies that includes Joyce Wanjiru, and Channelle Wangari who will also be battling for the top positions.

Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club Captain Simo Dubajic, is delighted to host the high calibre championship at a time when the course is at its best conditions and has also opened the gates to other Golfers and fans who wish to cheer their favorite players.

Coast  is sending a strong team of  its  four top leading single Amateurs  that includes Hassan Kalamu Choyo, John Timbe, Dickson Barasa and William Odeck  who  have  been securing support from International Sports Agency through a partnership with a German-based Sports coaching Agency “Lotus global” and non-profit organization “Universal Lighthouse”.

The lucky four were picked since 2021 by High-sports performance and renowned Mental Coach, Bernard Payet and UEFA-A-licensed football Coach Thomas Mooser from Germany during their talent search in Mombasa.

The two Coaches are currently in Mombasa for a working holiday since early February 2023 taking the four Golfers through various training sessions in preparation for the revised 26 KGU series expected to be played across the country.

“We can now endure any situation, well prepared mentally, physically and ready for better results in the Series before turning professionals hopefully by end of the year,”said Choyo.

The four said they will aim to focus on improving their individual playing ability and also plan for an international career on the European competitions, such as the Challenger and European Tours adding that their first step is to play more Kenya Golf Union (KGU) events to gather experience and use this as a springboard for future tournaments.

Payet is a high-sports performance, and renowned mental coach with more than a 40-years experience, while Mooser is a qualified Diploma sports-scientist.

The German said through cooperation with Mooser, Lotus global offers its clients the ideal conditions to guide and accelerate a development process extremely effectively with the ultimate goal of constantly improving and sustaining the consistency of its athletes, especially golfers.

The Windsor classic has attracted some of Kenya’s top amateurs and will be the second leg in the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) calendar of events that give the golfers a chance to qualify for next year’s 2024 Magical Kenya Open.

The Calendar started with the Sigona Bowl played from 20th to 22nd January 2023 at Sigona Golf Club and after the Windsor Classic ,the Amateurs will move to Muthaiga from 25^th to 26^th March for the Muthaiga Open.

The final leg will be the Nyali Open to be played 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.

ENDS;