Saidimu, Muigua lead chase for International Pairs series at Great Rift Valley Golf Resort

Karen Country Club’s Terra Saidimu and hot charging Team Kenya junior golfer Elvis Muigua from Kiambu Golf Club paired up at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort and played a team score of 43 points to emerge the winners of the International Pairs qualifier played on Saturday, 29 July.

They were earlier on knocked out of the ongoing 101st Kenya Amateur Matchplay Championship. The two beat the pair of Kiplangat Sang & Ken Biegon from Kericho Golf Club on countback. The event attracted a total of 39 pairs from 19 clubs across the country. 

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The players from Kericho Golf Club had a great show where four pairs out of the seven from the club finished within the top five positions. The pairs of David Biegon & Charles Keter, Elvis Koech & Ezekiel Koech and Collins Kipkurui & Reuben Muruguru all played 41 points finishing in the third, fourth and fifth positions respectively on countback.

Top four pairs and the first mixed pair of Bernard Kiraithe & Kathure Njoroge from Royal Nairobi Golf Club who played 39 points secured slots to the Kenya Grand Finale to be played on 1 September.

The next qualifier event is set on the 5 August at Nyali Golf & Country Club. This will be followed by three more events at Windsor Golf & Country Club (12 August), Nakuru Golf Club (19 August) and VetLab Sports Club (26 August).

All golfers who are 18 years and above and have a valid WHS handicap index are eligible. In each qualifier, the top four pairs, best ladies’ pair or best mixed pair qualify for the Grand Finale.

Since the start of the series in 2019, seven pairs have participated in the fully paid trip to the World Finals.

The golfers are competing in pairs in the series whose top prize is the fully paid for golfing trip to Portugal for the world finals to be held from the 6 to 10 November at the Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort and Bom Sucesso Resort.The top three pairs in the Grand Finale qualify for the World Finals. 

The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Philip Ochola thanked the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort for the hospitality.

“The International Pairs is meant to be a fun competition where we get to connect as golfers and appreciate the different abilities that we have. The best position that we have emerged as a country is the runner up in 2022 and we have always performed well,” he said.