Namanya triumphs at the Kenya Golf Day

Tough call. Christine Kilonzo (C), wife to Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, poses for a photo with overall winners Mark Namanya and Brenda Baraka after handing them trophies at the Kenya Golf Day event on Saturday. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO.

What you need to know:

  • Namanya produced birdies on No.1 and No.13 in a format where for instance, Hole No.1 was a par-4 starting from the tee-box of the usual Hole No.10 and ending on the green of Hole No.8.

Mark Namanya braved the heavy rains and change of format of play on a wet Kitante course to emerge as the best player at the Kenya Golf Day on Saturday.

The handicap 28 player was in a league of his own, beating a field of 217 players with a score of 54 nett to win his first major silverware seven months after joining Uganda Golf Club (UGC).
The tournament at the par-72 course was supposed to be played in medal format but the weather forced UGC to change it to a cross-country show, something which played into Namanya’s hands.

“The Cross-Country tournament is a pleasantly different competition that calls for more calculation and line-reading,” said the former Daily Monitor Sports editor. He had played with Collins Apuoyo, Mathias Kalule and Phelix Ruyonga.
“But having played the annual Cross-Country a few weeks back, I had a fair clue on how to approach holes and which irons to play all through the 16 holes,” he added.

Namanya produced birdies on No.1 and No.13 in a format where for instance, Hole No.1 was a par-4 starting from the tee-box of the usual Hole No.10 and ending on the green of Hole No.8. The annual Kenya Golf Day is aimed at promotion of regional trade and golf tourism through free Kenya Airways flights for golfers around East Africa. It also fosters inland container depo business in Naivasha for Ugandan traders among others.

2019 KENYA GOLF DAY
OVERALL WINNERS
M: Mark Namanya 54 nett
L: Brenda Baraka 55 nett
GROUP WINNERS
MEN
A: Ernest Rukundo 55 nett
B: Robert Okot 57 nett
C: Adoch Luwum 55 nett
LADIES
A: Gertrude Acato 53 nett
B: Sung Yi Hong 63 nett (c/b)