NCBA Golf Series: Makori, Awuor Triumph At Royal
Ladies Division One winner Ashley Awuor is awarded by Charles Omondi, NCBA Group, Ag. Director, Corporate Banking during the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg of the 2024 NCBA Golf Series. PHOTO/ COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya- George Makori and Ashley Awuor emerged top at the hotly contested Division One category at the latest leg of the NCBA Golf Series held on Saturday, September 28th at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
Over 250 players turned out at the par 72 course to battle for the chance to qualify for the NCBA Series Grand Finale set for November 29th.
Playing off handicap 10, Makori went toe to toe with Sunil Parmar in the men’s division one category, a close encounter that saw both golfers card 39 points. Makori won on countback as Parmar settled for the second place.
In the ladies’ category, handicap 5 Awuor returned an excellent score of 38 ahead of Diana Mbuba (Handicap 7) who posted 36 points.
Nicholas Malaki (Handicap 18) and Christine Mathenge (Handicap 24) were victorious in Division Two after carding 42 and 44 points respectively while Tesha Magira was the overall Division Three winner with a score of 44 off handicap 30.
Shawn Malesi won the junior category prize after returning 35 points off handicap 12, with Don Tororei and Rahab Thuo winning the guest and staff categories.
Makori, Awuor, Malaki, Mathenge, Magira, and Malesi join over 100 other golfers who have already secured their slots for the grand finale, including three from Rwanda.
Constantine Barasa stole the show when she sunk a hole-in-one at the 167-yard par 3 hole number 17.
Speaking at the event, NCBA Group Ag. Corporate Banking Director Charles Omondi said: “We are immensely proud of the growth and enthusiasm we’ve seen throughout the series, since we launched this year’s edition at this same venue. We have extended our golf support wings not only to every corner of Kenya but across the borders to Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda and we are immensely proud to connect the region under the golf-umbrella.”
“As we gear up for the grand finale at the Muthaiga Golf Club, let us take a moment to applaud not only the winners for the day and all participants, but also the meaningful engagements we had on the course and purpose to have in November during the grand finale.”
In line with its sustainability agenda, NCBA planted over 100 indigenous trees at the club, taking part in an initiative aimed at supporting environmental conservation and enhance the club’s green spaces.
The series’ action now heads to Entebbe Club next weekend for Uganda’s last qualifying round.
