Amateur Champ Njoroge Leads Four-Man Team Kenya To Karen Masters

NAIROBI, Kenya- Reigning Kenya Amateur Golf champion Samuel Njoroge will lead a four-man national team to the 2019 KCB Karen Masters which tees off at the Par-72 Karen Country Club on Wednesday. 

Nyali Golf and Country Club's star player Daniel Nduva who won last weekend's 56-hole Coronation Trophy in Nakuru is also entered with the immediate former Kenya Amateur Matchplay champion one of the most consistent amateur golfers at the present. 

Two-time Coast Open Champion, Mathew Wahome, also from Nyali is the sole junior player in the team.

Mathew, a son of Junior Golf  Foundation coast representative, Alice Wahome, has been known to be calm off the course, but on it he has risen to be a talisman for juniors. 

He is making a comeback to the big stage after winning at Trans Nzoia that is a round of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) that was formerly known as GOTY.

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Njoroge and Nduva missed the cut in the 2019 Magical Kenya Open and will be hoping to make amends in the Sunshine Tour event that tees off in Karen. 

"We have been practicing at Karen over the past few days in order to familiarise with the course conditions. I'm glad that the few practice rounds are coming through really well.

"My aim is to make the cut and finish in the top 20 position," said Njoroge who won the 57th FirstBank Lagos Amateur Golf Open at Ikoyi Club in his first visit to the West African country. 

Njoroge was crowned the champion of the KAGC after winning last year’s Nyali Open and the Railway Club resident has been carding good results since winning the Mt. Kenya Golf Championship that was the first event in the 2019 amateur series.

Making the cut

He will also be joined by Simon Njogu of Great Rift Valley Resort who is the 2019 Muthaiga Open titleholder.

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The notable absentee is Muthaiga  junior golfer, Mutahi Kibugu who was among the two juniors in the Kenya Open team before playing for his club at this year’s Tannahill Shield. The four Kenyan amateurs are all single handicap players selected through Kenya Golf Union ranks. 

The amateurs will join the 30 local professionals named recently to represent the country in the prestigious Sunshine Tour event.  

Twenty five professionals qualified from the PGK Order of Merit following the conclusion of the four leg KCB Road To The Masters. 

Five others made it by virtue of making the cut at the Kenya Open 2019 and last year's Karen Master's. They are Simon Ngige and Justus Madoya in this year's Kenya Open and Dismas Indiza, Riz Charania and Nohit Mediratta from the 2018 Karen Masters. 

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Uganda will field three players including Philip Kasozi who qualified for the Kenya Open through the Safari Tour. In town also is last year's runner-up Merrick Bremner. 

Team Kenya

Amateurs

Samuel Njoroge -Railways

Daniel Nduva -Nyali 

Mathew Wahome -Nyali

Simon Njogu- Great Rift

Professionals

Exemptions from Road To Masters qualifiers 

Simon Ngige, Dismas Indiza, Rizwan Charania, Mohit Mediratta and Justus Madoya

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PGK Order of Merit  

CJ Wangai, Greg Snow, Alfred Nandwa, David Wakhu, Erick Ooko Obura, Nelson Mudanyi, Jeff Kubwa, Njuguna Ngugi, David Odhiambo, Tony Omuli, Sujan Shah, David Opati, Hesbon Kutwa, Ganeev Giddie, Dennis Saikwa, Ken Abuto, Richard Ainley, Frank Matilo, Jacob Okello, Edwin Mudanyi, Kenneth Bollo, Joseph W Karanja, Sullivan Muthugia, Boniface Simwa, Kopan Timbe, 

Pro Reserves 

Kevin Mabele, JM Karanja, Charan Thethy, Anil Shah