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Safaricom Golf Tour VetLab leg dominated by home golfers

Home player Nelson Nyoike beat a field of 253 golfers to win the 13th leg of the Safaricom Golf Tour held at the par 72 Vet Lab Golf Club.

Playing off handicap 21, the sixty-two-year-old golfer capitalized on the home advantage and his excellent form to post 22 points in the front nine before doubling the scores in the back nine to post a total of 44 points courtesy of twelve pars, four double bogeys and two bogeys enabling him to claim the overall title ahead of Watson Burugu with 40 points.

“I played easy to win the tournament courtesy of several pars. The course was in perfect condition, and I had good company with my four-ball team players, who also played a part in today’s victory. It is my first win of the series, and I feel great about it as it has given me a rare opportunity to represent my home club in the finals. I know it will be tough competing against the best golfers from other golf clubs across the country, but I will try my best and make sure I bring the victory home,” said Nyoike

Nyoike became the second eldest golfer to win the Safaricom Golf Tour after the seventy-year-old Don Riaro of Karen Golf Club. He joins other winners from the past twelve tournaments to battle it out in the grand finale to be held in two weeks at Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi County.

Other top prizes that were also won by the home golfers include the Men and Ladies categories, Longest Drive, Nearest to the pin, Best two Nines and the Staff winner categories.

The corporate tournament also ran alongside the Golf Outreach dubbed ‘Golf Mtaani’ held at Kabete VetLab Primary School, with 80 young people getting an opportunity to learn basic skills of golf from Safaricom’s golf professional trainers.

In the Sunday juniors’ tournament, twelve-year-old Belinda Wanjiru and sixteen-year-old Beiju Shah were crowned the overall winners after beating a field of 165 players at the same facility.

The duo capitalized on the home advantage to post 75 and 74 points respectively to claim the tournament’s best girl and boy titles.

“I started playing golf when I was nine years old. My journey and growth in the sport have been overwhelming with much support from my parents. The tournament was amazing as I had not much pressure on the course. I am glad to emerge as the overall best boy. Nothing beats the feeling of playing and winning at your home club”, said Shah, a junior golfer.

Wanjiru and Shah have participated in the past junior tournaments and managed to lead in their respective group categories. This is the second overall title for Wanjiru after emerging as the best girl in the first leg of the juniors’ tournament in Nanyuki.

The tour has attracted over 7,000 golfers participating in the various tournaments, junior clinics and outreach programmes.

The 14th leg, which also marks the last tournament of the series ahead of the grand finale in Vipingo, is scheduled for 30th July at Nairobi Royal Golf Club.