As Karen Country Club hosts the grand finale of the 2023 East Africa Golf Tour today, the series has been regarded as highly successful after traversing 11 counties in Kenya and three countries in the East African region- Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

In the Kenyan edition, the 8-month long series was held at the Royal Nairobi Club, Vet Lab Sports Club, Eldoret Golf Club, Limuru Golf Club, Railway Golf Club, Kakamega Golf Club, Nyanza Golf Club, Thika Sports Club, Nyeri Golf Club, Nakuru Golf Club, Kericho Golf Club, Great Rift Valley Lodge, Kitale Golf Club, Machakos Golf Club, Sigona Golf Club, Nyali Golf Club, and Nandi Bears Golf Club.

But, aside from the amazing courses and memorable experiences created over the 8 months, we saw the rise of talented golfers who will without a doubt grow into becoming pros in the future. This aligns well with the bank’s brand purpose For People. For Better., anchored on opening doors of opportunities to anyone, anytime and anywhere.

Scola Onsongo who started playing her golf during the Covid-19 pandemic period has become a household name in the fairways, her knack for hitting a golf ball has set her aside from the rest. She won many staff winner awards during the tour, leaving her mark as one of the best emerging golfers in the country.

Over and beyond the individual glory, the series saw 15 teams book their slots in the much-awaited Pro-Am grand finale event with names such as Boaz Sugut, Erick Choge, Josephat Acharo, Edwin Serem, David Sum, John Saina, Eileen Chepchumba and Sosteen Biwot, Jackson Musomba, Simon Kimatu, Ben Mumo, Francis Mbithi, Joseph Malatu, Francis Musembi, Kyalo Munyao, Engineer Okemwa, William Kaguta, Edwin Kiptoo, Caroline Nyarandi, Raajkamal Dhanjal among others eager to brave the greens.

“Our aim as KCB is to expand the sport of golf while giving an opportunity to budding golfers to hone their skills through the KCB East Africa Golf Tour. The tournament has been a great success, and I cannot wait to see the competitors displaying their prowess at the grand finale. The series has positioned KCB as a regional sports powerhouse underscoring our commitment to elevate the game to elite levels,” noted KCB Group Director Marketing and Communications Rosalind Gichuru.

To put into perspective, the series reached over 1500 participants and over 800 juniors and ladies through the golf clinics that ran concurrently with the tour. The aim of the clinics was to nurture talent from a young age in the grassroots levels also, to open up the game to women to demystify the pre-existing perceptions about the sport.

Over 200 golfers are expected to headline Friday’s event who will be battling for the KShs. 1 million grand prize while the winning team will also get a chance to participate in the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open at the Vipingo Ridge in Malindi, Kilifi County.

The inaugural NCBA Kenya Invitational Junior Tournament is set to take place this weekend, from today to Sunday, at the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club.

Organised by U.S. Kids Golf in collaboration with the Junior Golf Foundation and sponsored by NCBA Bank, the tournament will bring together over 120 junior golfers from Kenya and various parts of the world including the Kenya, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, China, Ghana, India, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

The tournament will provide the young golfers with an opportunity to engage in a multi-day championship and secure U.S. Kids Golf Priority Status. This status, earned at different levels during the tournament, enables players to qualify for other U.S. Kids Golf Major Championships, including Regional, International, and World Teen Championships. The Priority Status earned from this event will be valid from March 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025.

In addition to U.S. Kids Golf Priority Status, the tournament will also serve as a qualifying event for the World Amateur Golf Ranking for Boys and Girls aged 15–18. The competition will be structured into age groups, with each category playing from age-specific yardages. Boys’ Age Groups include 6 and Under, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13–14, and 15–18, while Girls’ Age Groups encompass 8 and Under, 9–10, 11–12, 13–14, and 15–18.