Kenya's top lady golfers gear up for the Eileen Belcher tournament at Muthaiga

Muthaiga’s Kelly Gachaga. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard]

Top leading Kenyan Lady Golfers gear up again for the 85^th Edition of the annual Eileen Blecher Golf tournament scheduled to be played at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club Course in Nairobi County from Saturday.

The two days’ tourney that ends on Sunday is a 54 holes’ competition with 96 ladies playing foursomes match play off-scratch for all the three divisions.

The Division includes the Red Zone being represented by Muthaiga, Sigona Thika Sports and North Rift Region while the Green Zone has teams from Royal Nairobi, Limuru, Kiambu and the Central Region.

The Yellow Zone has Vetlab, Railway, Coast and South Rift Region as the Blue Zone is being represented by ladies from Karen, Golf Park, Ruiru, Windsor and the Western Region.

The Tournament being convened by Rosemary Mkok is being organized by the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) and is among its ongoing calendar of events for this year.

KLGU Chairman Jane Babza Nzibo said yesterday that the winners in Division A will get the Eileen Belcher Trophy and are players whose handicap index range from +5.0 to 11.9 and that the Green Zone Division A has won the trophy for the last three years.

“While the Sinclair Quaich trophy is presented to the winners of Division B with handicap index ranging from

12.0 to 19.9 while the Palmer Trophy is presented to winners of C division whose handicap index range from 20.0 to 30.0 and Red Zone won both the Sinclair Quaich and Palmer trophy last year,”said Nzibo.

She pointed out that the scoring is 2 points for a match won and 1 point for a match halved and that the Prize giving ceremony will take place at 2pm on Sunday after completion of the third-round matches.

“We as a Union welcome all the Ladies to this prestigious tournament, and have put everything in place to ensure they enjoy the game, the Course and return home with good memories,” said Nzibo.

Nzibo further said that the competition is played off scratch handicap and it will be interesting to watch the national squad team members battling it out for supremacy.

The squad comprises Mercy Nyanchama, Diana Mbuba, Ashley Awour, Margaret Njoki, Belinda Wanjiru, Joyce Wanjiru, Kellie Gachaga among others competing against each other in the four zones.

According to a press release from KLGU, this prestigious tournament was originally known as the Inter District Cup and the cup was presented by Eileen in 1937 to encourage match-play between the districts. 

Mrs. Belcher was the first Chairman of the Kenya Ladies Golf Union as over the years the format has changed and currently the competition is played in Four Zones with each of the four zones made up of several Clubs forming a team of three pairs, with one standby player. 

The history behind the Trophies is a reflection of past leadership of the Kenya Ladies Golf Union with the

Sinclair Quaich that was presented by Mary Sinclair, a KLGU Chairman 1984.

And the Palmer Trophy was presented by Edward Palmer, in 1982, when his daughter Susan Harworth was KLGU Chairman and Edward Palmer is Eileen Belcher’s younger brother.