JTL Masters prepares golfers for the Kenya Open

Kopan Timbe, the captain of the Professional Golfers of Kenya, reacts to a missed putt on the 18th green during a past Jamii Telkom Masters at the Karen Country. FILE 

By CHARLES GACHERU

Today, Kenyan golf professionals will be playing the fourth round of the Jamii Telkom Masters, a four-round, four-day championship that has traditionally been played the week before the Kenya Open Golf Championship.

The nearly 40 golf professionals will be joined at the Karen Country Club by 156 amateur golfers, guests of the Jamii Telkom (JTL) chairman Joshua Chepkwony.

According to Kopan Timbe, the captain of the Professional Golfers of Kenya, the JTL Masters, now in its fifth year, has given them much needed practice for the Kenya Open.

“Since 2010, Jamii Telkom and their chairman Joshua Chepkwony have continued to support the local golf professionals by very graciously supporting the Jamii Telkom PGK Masters,” he said.

With a Sh1 million prize kitty and with the top professional poised to take home Sh235,000, the first runners up Sh150,000 and Sh100,000 for the second runners up, competition at Karen has been fierce.

After two rounds of play, Dismas Indiza was the club house leader with a commendable eight-under par score of 136, having returned scores 69 and 67. If Indiza can maintain this momentum going into the Kenya Open next week, the Kenya Open crown would be his.

Thika’s Simon Ngige was a shot adrift, seven-under par 137 after two similar rounds of 68 and 69.

David Wakhu started slowly in the first round with an average two-under par round, but he cranked up the engine and returned a five-under second round for a total of seven-under par 137.

Greg Snow and Nicholas Rokoine who both led through the first round with scores of four-under 68, lost their footing in the second round and it will be interesting to see how they finish today.

Commenting on the performance of the professionals, Mr Chepkwony said he was happy with the performance of the pros at Karen.

“Through round one, 14 pros broke par and another seven pros played to a scratch score,” he said.

“This is an impressive performance and if this momentum can endure through the coming week, we should see many our of local pros make the cut and even win the Kenya Open.”

Among the amateur golfers joining the professionals at Karen today are the chairman of the Kenya Golf Union Francis Okwara, the chairman of the Kenya Open Golf Ltd Peter Kanyago, the chairman Karen Country Club Tom Mulwa, Nairobi deputy governor Jonathan Mueke, Kenya Orient CEO Muema Muindi, top Kenyan lawyers Jinaro Kibet and Kenneth Kiplagat among others.

“We have also invited as many of our Faiba clients from around Nairobi to come and join us on the course and as we cheer our local professionals to the Kenya Open,” said Mr Chepkwony.