Larry Ngala
25 August 2009
Nairobi — Seasoned golfer and immediate retired chairman of the Kenya Open Golf Limited, Richard Kemoli, braved a strong challenge from over a field of 80 golfers at Karen Country Club to win this year's BOC Golf title at the weekend.
Now playing off handicap 10, which is the highest handicap he has played over the past 40 years, Kemoli returned 18 points from the first nine but fired an impressive 22 points for a total of 40 points to beat Sigona's Ngigi Mondo on countback.
The 75 year old Kemoli set off with four pars, dropping a single shot each on fifth and sixth holes, with a scratch at the seventh though made a back to back pars at the eighth and ninth.
It was at the back nine, where propelled by a birdie at the 11th, Kemoli pared from the 12th all the way to the 16th, halted by a bogey at the 17th but finished with a par at the 18th for a brilliant 22 points to take home a 13-kg gas cylinder.
Mondo, who had posted 19 points in the first nine, carded 21 at the back nine to lose to Kemoli on countback and eventually settle for the runner up prize.
Flora Wokabi took the ladies prize with 38 points and the first and second nine went to Gordon Odundo and John Chege on 22 and 20 points respectively with Jonathan Narayandoo taking home the staff prize with 32 points.
At Muthaiga, Royal Nairobi's H.K. Kong beat home player Florence Maina on countback with gross 79 to claim the Silver Division medal title during the ladies Open sponsored by Dasani over the weekend.
Another Muthaiga player Agnes Wanjiru finished in third place on 81 and winning the nett in the Silver Division was Fiona Fox with nett 69 and ahead of club-mate Lucie Maina on 72 and Sigona's Archana Patel with 74.
The Bronze title went to Naomi Wafula from the Naliaka Academy who fired 90 gross to win by four shots from Dhuni Shah of Royal while another junior from the Golf Park Louraine Bett was third on 96 gross.
The nett title in this section went to Kala Shah of Sigona on 68 and well ahead of Nolly Sodi on 75 with Royal's R. Jagdev finishing third on 76. The Muthaiga Challenge trophy remained at Muthaiga with Florence Maina and partner Jane Njoroge who fired gross 78 to win by 10 shots from Joyce Wafula and A.