Kenya Railways golfers John Lejirma will seeking to drive hone a new car at the weekend’s 103rd edition of Coast Open, the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC) series at the par 72 Mombasa Golf club.
Lej as he is popularly called, will also be yearning for the second title in the series after winning Field Marshal Trophy in Njoro last month.
Apart from winning the overall title at the Barry Cup, the oldest Golf trophy competed for in the Kenyan Coast having first been donated to the Mombasa golf Club in 1913, golfers will be driving home a brand new car with a hole in one win.
“I am in good shape ahead of the tournament with a target to drive home the new car with a hole in one as well as winning the overall title,” said Lejirma, the reigning KAGC champion.
The old Cup donated by Percy Barry was not only a founder member of the Club but was the first Honorary Treasurer and Captain a whopping four times.
This will be the first time the tournament will be played in a 54-hole event to enable the elite amateur an opportunity to earn World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points. Additionally, with the Kenya Golf Union’s drive to promote ‘Golf for All’, Elite lady golfers have been invited to compete.
Club captain James Gitonga said that the Barry cup continues its strong run as the premier sporting event for amateurs in the region where it draws massive support from the growing golf fraternity. Apart from the finesse exhibited in the field by the select elite amateurs during the championship, it has also emerged as a gem of socialization and the festive camaraderie that pervades the ocean facing club is usually the premium outing for the regional and up country tourists.
An experienced field of 69 elite amateurs have signed up for the event that kicks off on Friday morning. Leading the pack is Mike Karanga from Kiambu Golf Club who is currently leading in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship ranking and is also the best placed Kenya in the WAGR ranking.
Karanga would be expecting a tough battle from Ugandan Godfrey Nsubuga who was runners up just a shot behind Karanga a week ago during the Limuru Open &Brackenhurst Cup.
Other notables include the Coast Veterans led by the defending Champion Gathogo Kaguta from Nyali golf & Country Club, Henry Kamau from Mombasa Golf Club and Kalamu Choyo from Nyali Golf & Country Club. The ladies featured includes the National Ladies Team Captain Joyce Wanjiru from Kiambu Golf Club, Jackie Walters from Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort and Joyce Masai from Nyali Golf & Country Club.