KCB Golf tour kicks off february without region golfers

This year’s Kenya Commercial Bank KCB Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK),-KCB Golf Tour, will kick off next month at the Thika golf club but without the participation of other golfers from the East Africa countries.

According to KCB Bank Director, Marketing and Communication, Angela Mwirigi, the sponsors scrapped the other regional golfers from the 2012 calendar due to logistical reasons making this year’s leg an all Kenyan (Nairobi) affair.

“We decided not to include them in this year’s series but they will have the opportunity to participate in the final in Mombasa,” said Mwirigi who presided over this year’s launch on Tuesday in Nairobi.

This year’s series that starts on February 1, has also been reduced from eight to six legs. The championship whose final will be staged at Nyali golf club, Mombasa in August will see the best placed professional in the order of merit take home Ksh. 200,000 as a bonus reward.

Other host clubs outlined in the series which will be staged over of seven months include Muthaiga, Nyanza, Nakuru and Royal Nairobi golf clubs. KCB the main sponsors for the sixth year running has boosted the sponsorship deal by ksh.300 000 to Ksh. 9 million with 6.4 million will going into the cash rewards.

The PGK Chairman, Charan Thethy promised a better season which he predicted will be very competitive.

“We as the PGK appreciate what KCB has been doing to us in the past years. The sponsorship has enable a number of golfers in this country to travel and play along side other best golfers in the region.

But it would be paramount if they had at least a three year contracts with us, this can make us plan better for future tournaments,” proposed the chair.

Last year, Dismas Indiza won the 2011 series and took home one million shillings as the bonus cash reward.

The first KCB East Africa golf tour took place in 2007 and the championship which started as a small Pro-Am (professional/armature) series has since grown to a regional premier golfing circuit for professionals.

Elvince Joshua

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