Great Rift Valley's Simon Njogu leads a strong field as top amateur golfers converge the for Manchester Salver starting tomorrow at the par 71 Eldoret Golf club
The event is part of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships Series and will count towards the 2020 Kenya Open Championships at Karen Country and Golf Club.
Golfers will be battling for points in the 36-hole tournament on a nine-hole golf course where a new champion will be unveiled after 2018 and 2017 winner Edwin Mudanyi turned professional early this year.
Njogu, who lies third in the series with 305 points, will be battling with Nyali’s Daniel Nduva, Vet Lab’s Mike Kisia and junior golfer Tuimur Malik in the first tee at 8 am.
Ten minutes later, junior golfer Mutahi Kibugi from Muthaiga will be joined by Nakuru’s John Kamais, William Odera and R. Njoroge in the four-ball format.
“I am training well ahead of the tournament and I am keen to increase my chances of winning the title. I am likely to move into the second position with four legs remaining if I play well,” he said. Njogu won Coast and Muthaiga Open and this has propelled him to his current third position.
Series leader Samuel Njoroge from Kenya Railways said he will not be competing in Eldoret as he is training for Nyali Open mid next month. “My training now is for Nyali Open. I want to make a cut into the Kenya Open come next year,” said Njoroge.
Host captain Geoffrey Kitiwa will lead top club golfer Aaron Kitur, former captains Jack Tuwei, Anand Lakhani and Sandeed Grewal among others. Kitiwa said despite the current rains pounding on the course, they are ready to host the big two-day tournament.
He said since they are renovating greens on hole one and two, they will be using temporal greens for this weekend's event. “We have a big entry for golfers for the tournament and the course is in good condition despite the rain. We are now using temporal greens since we are building holes one and two,” said Kitiwa adding that the club is sponsoring the eventfully.
