Resident golfer Aiyaz Shroff secured the top spot in the Safari Tour’s Pro-Am tournament held at the Muthaiga Golf Club, showcasing an impressive field of 272 golfers, including 68 professionals from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.
Playing off a handicap of 27, Aiyaz amassed 43 points to claim the overall victory, with Haren Patel taking the men’s category title at 41 points, closely followed by James Ondigo as the men’s runner-up with 39 points.
In the women’s category, Jenn Muthoni, playing off handicap 34, secured the top position with 39 points, edging out Susan Kanyora, who finished second with 37 points and a handicap of 22.
Martin Mwangi and Martin Wanyoike emerged as the winners for the first and second 9, respectively, with 21 points each. Notably, junior player Tanish Gudhka, playing off a handicap of 4, showcased remarkable skill, scoring 36 points to be crowned the best junior at the Pro-Am tournament.
James Njeke claimed victory in the Nearest to Pin challenge, while Khushil Nathwani and Shivani Sanghrajka excelled in the Longest Drive challenge for the men’s and ladies’ categories.
The Top Team prize was secured by the team led by veteran local golf pro Dismas Indiza, scoring 88 points. They were followed by Simon Ngigi’s team at 86 points, with the team led by Riz Charania securing the third position with 84 points.
Absa Bank Kenya Chief Finance Officer, Yusuf Omari, expressed enthusiasm at the conclusion of the Pro-Am tournament, emphasizing Absa’s commitment to supporting local professionals and amateur players through its sponsorship of the 2023/24 Safari Tour Golf Series, contributing KES 4.5 million. The tournament served as a prelude to four days of intense competition at Muthaiga, with the winner set to claim KES 150,000.
The top eight players from the Safari Tour will earn coveted spots in the prestigious Magical Kenya Open scheduled for February 22, 2024.
