Vipingo Ridge lady golfer Naomi Wafula will be seeking to break another barrier, seeking back victories at the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC), the Nyali Open set for this weekend at the par 71 Nyali Golf club.
With the KAGC series coming to an end, Wafula, who broke the barriers, becoming the first women to win the amateurs event, the Kiambu Open three weeks ago at the Kiambu golf club will lead other women golfers to battle for the title in a male dominated meeting.
Wafula will be teeing off at 8:30am alongside Joseph Sulubu (Malindi) and John Orongo of Nyali with the tournament attracting five ladies.
She won the Kiambu title after beating Ugandan Godfrey Nsubuga to claim the title in one of the hard fought play-offs before setting her focus on the Nyali Open that tees off on Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.
“I always have a good time playing with men and giving them a big challenge. They give a good challenge to me and the rest,” said Wafula.
Other than Wafula, Golf Park’s Margaret Njoki will be up with England’s Connor Scott and Malindi’s Henry Akello at 8:10am.
Kiambu’s Joyce Wanjiru will be at the tee alongside Royal’s Peter Ndung’u and Dahiv Awdeer from Royal and Nyali clubs respectively while Diana Mbaba of Royal will be playing with Kenya Railways John Lejirma and Mombasa’s Miqdaad Walji and Jacqueline Walter of Vipingo will be at the tee at 11:50am in a flight of Royal’s James Kamenchu and Michael Oloo of Malindi.
Back in Kiambu, the consistent Wafula won against Mehta golf club player in one of the toughest encounters in the five play-off and sudden death playoff after recording two under par 214 at the conclusion of the tournament.
Following the tie, the duo were forced to play in holes 1, 2, 8 and nine where they played level to go for 18 hole four times for a sudden death playoff.
In hole one, Wafula fired a par while Nsubuga managed a bogey, with Wafula winning another par with Nsubuga securing another bogey in hole 2. With Wafula heading for victory in 8th, she dropped one as Nsubuga won a birdie to level and heading into the 9th, they all fired a par.
With the scores at level, they duo went into the sudden death 18th hole, where they played level, with a par and were subjected to the second 18th hole sudden play.
For the third time, they returned to hole 18th with all square at firing a par but Wafula, in the 4th 18th hole sudden death playoff, sunk a par with a long put with Nsubuga dropping a shot to hand Wafula the title.