Series leader John Lejirma will be chasing the Kenya One title when he tees off at the Manchester Salver, the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC) series at the par 71 Eldoret Golf Club this weekend.
Fresh from winning the Kenya Amateur Stroke-play title at Rea Vipingo Ridge, the Kenya Railways Club player said he expects a tough challenge from the likes of Kenya captain Dennis Maara, Adel Balala, defending champion Simon Karari, host Aron Kitur and former captain Jack Tuwei among others.
Top performers will earn points ahead of the Magical Kenya Open Golf Championships and Lejirma believes this will spice up the competition, even though he has already qualified for Kenya Open.
“I am chasing the Kenya One title while my colleagues are on a mission to qualify for Magical Kenya and this will only make the competition tougher,” said Lejirma.
He said he is inspired for the task ahead especially after leading Team Kenya, which also had Maara, Balala and Michael Karanga, to win bronze at the All Africa Golf championships in Egypt last month.
“I confiden I will win the title. I’m in perfect form. I know the tournament will be tough but I am also ready for the battle. Since I have already made it to the prestigious Magical Open, points at this time matters a lot,” he said.
Lejirma leads the series with 569 points ahead of Jay Sandhu of Royal Club (474) and Ugandan Michael Alunga (467). Maara from Limuru is fourth with 427 points, followed by Sammy Mulama (294) and junior player Njoroge Kibugu (258).
Lejirma is expected to tee off at 8:40am alongside Eldoret’s Mathew Koech and Nandi Bear’s chairman Kenduiwo Mutai.
Defending champion Karari will be off the greens at 11:50am alongside Tuwei and Nandi’s Elly Barno.
Eldoret’s long-hitter Kitur will be teeing off at 9:00am in the company of Kitale’s Philip Shiharsy and Kakamega’s Newton Ongalo.
Host captain Jackson Kiprono will be on the tee at 12:30pm alongside Nandi’s Sosten Biwott and Kitale's Carl Wambasi.
Kakamega pair of Julius Oketch and William Odeck, alongside Howard Sinyeri, will be the first golfers on the tee at 7:00 am.
The 36-hole two-day event has attracted 72 amateur golfers.
Karari won last year’s title, the first of his career in the series after firing five over par 147.
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