Junior Wanjiku triumphs at Safari tour PRO-AM tourney in Karen
Junior golfer Wanjiku Mathu floored a strong field of 184 golfers to emerge as the overall winner of the Pro-Am tournament of the 2023/24 Safari Tour Golf Series finale held yesterday at the par 72 Karen Country Club, Nairobi.
Mathu defied all odds to card an impressive score of 44 Stableford points to claim the top honors in the SBM Bank–sponsored competition that attracted pros and amateur players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.
In the Men’s category, Stephen Muriithi scored 40 points after countback, beating Paul Njiiri who came in second, also with 40 points. Nick Markham, on a countback score of 39 points, was third after tying on the same score with Julius Irimu who took the fourth spot.
The Ladies category saw Wanjira Kireri take the title on 39 points after a countback. She edged out runner-up Wairimu Maina who also had 39 points. Wayua Mululu was third thanks to a countback score of 38 points that saw her triumph over Wanjiku Guchu who took fourth place on the same points.
At the same time, the Staff Winner category went to Paul Njuguna who carded 33 points to emerge victorious. Mwambu Malamba was the runner-up with 30 points after a countback.
The Junior category went to Shashwat Harish who finished with an impressive 35 points.
SBM Bank Kenya Deputy CEO, Jotham Mutoka lauded the success of the Pro-Am tournament saying: “At SBM Bank Kenya, we are fully committed to developing sports, and golf in particular, across the country. Events like the Safari Tour Golf Series help showcase Kenya’s immense golfing talent while also promoting the sport at grassroots levels. We are proud to be associated with the growth of golf and will continue in our endeavors to nurture upcoming players and avail playing opportunities countrywide.”
He observed that the Safari Tour has revolutionized professional golf in Kenya by providing a structured competitive circuit for local pros and upcoming amateurs.
“We have seen the rankings of our top players improve tremendously as a result of competing week in and week out in the Safari Tour. We have an opportunity to expand golf participation and infrastructure and are happy to be working with like-minded partners to grow the sport,” Mutoka added.
SBM Bank Kenya is sponsoring the 5-day tournament as part of its ongoing commitment to the development of golf, aiming to nurture talent and promote the sport in the nation.
Make this read better: The Pro-Am tournament set the stage for four days of intense competition at Karen that will see the top eight players in the Safari Tour earn the opportunity to participate in the prestigious Magical Kenya Open, scheduled to take place from February 22, 2024.
The Safari Tour is now in its sixth season and has proved an ideal platform for local professionals to gain world ranking points while competing against their regional counterparts.
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