KAREN MASTERS
Andy Watt, Karen Masters
Tournament Director, credits the
performance to the golfers’ fine
form. “The top two guys displayed
excellent course management. They
were always on the fairway and their
approach shots were precise. The
course setup was excellent with very
tough roughs. I can assure you it was
not easy as they made it look,” Watt
observes.
Despite the astonishing scores by the
leaders, the cut line was relatively
low at level par. Indeed for some
pros it was an event that they will
quickly wish to forget. For example,
the “Piga Mingi” score in round one
was 84! It was not rosy either for
defending champion Michael Palmer
who finished a distant T15 position.
The weather conditions were very
friendly. Unlike the windy conditions
experienced in March during the
Kenya Open, the weather was calm
this time round. “The dry weather
helps the players to manage the ball
flight much better,” says Mr. Watt.
After a successful tournament, the
organizers of Karen Masters have
set their targets much higher. Plans
are in the offing to increase the prize
money next year. With a purse prize
of Kshs 20 million, the Karen Masters
ranks as the second most lucrative
event on the Sunshine Tour.
As expected, pros from South Africa
dominated the proceedings grabbing
nine of the top 10 positions. Kudos
to our local pros led by Greg Snow,
for ensuring that part of the pie
remained in Kenya.
6
Stephen Ferreira: Runners up
KCB Karen Masters 2019 - Leaderboard
Rank Name
Prize (SA Rands) Par
1 Toto Thimba 348,700.00 -26
2 Stephen Ferreira 243,100.00 -23
3 Keith Horne 153,780.00 -17
4 JC Ritchie 92,400.00 -16
5 Garrick Higgo 66,000.00 -14
6 MJ Viljoen 60,500.00 -13
7 Thriston Lawrence 52,250.00 -11
7 Greg Snow 52,250.00 -11
27 David Wakhu 22,000.00 -6
37 Dismas Indiza 18,480.00 -4
46 CJ Wangai 14,740.00 -2
48 Simon Ngige 13,640.00 -1
51 Rizwan Charania 12,540.00 Par
53 Simon Njogu (a) Amateur +1
62 Jeff Kubwa 9,570.00 +5
64 Jastas Madoya 9,240.00 +12