Pennington and Nyanchama top 2024 Eileen Belcher Trophy

KLGU Chairman Jane Babza Nzibo (middle) poses with Division A Eileen Blecher winners. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard].

There were celebrations after the yellow zone team pairs emerged overall winners in the 2024 Eileen Becher Golf tournament that ended at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Course in Nairobi County on Sunday evening.

The Yellow zone pairs of Emma Pennington and Mercy Nyanchama clinched the A division category trophy after beating Blue Zone pairs of Kelie Gachaga and Maria Torrado on hole-7.

This was through a sudden death playoff necessitated after both had tied on 13 points each at end of the normal match.

“I have to tell you that today has been the biggest highlight in my whole golfing time. I have enjoyed this weekend so much, irrelevant of winning (which always makes things good). We had the best pairing and excellent team work. The play off made us nervous but we nailed it,”said Pennington who is also the team Captain.

The Yellow zone comprised lady golfers from Njoro, Nyali, Vetlab, Kenya Railways and the South Rift Region who played in various divisions.

“Mine, as one of the players from the Coast, we have not won Eileen Blecher in a long time. This time we had t give our best shot and support each other. The pairing was excellent and our game merged so well without pressure, “said Mary Kandu from Nyali.

The event was grouped in Divisions with A having players whose handicap index ranged from +5.0 to 11.9, B with handicap index ranging from 12.0 to 19.9 and the C division had handicappers index ranging from 20.0 to 30.0.

The Green zone that was represented by Karen, Golf Park, Ruiru, Windsor and the Western Region and who won the A category for the last three years emerged third with 7 points and the Red Zone for Muthaiga, Sigona, Thika Sports and North Rift Region was fourth on 3 points.

In the B division category, Red Zone walked home with Sinclair Trophy on 12 points, a point ahead of Green zone while the Blue Zone with 9 points and the Yellow Zone on 4 points were third and fourth respectively.

The Palmer Trophy in division C was won by the Green Zone after collecting 13 points while the Red and Yellow zone tied for second place on 9 points each and taking fourth place was the Blue zone with 5 points.

This is the 85th Edition of the annual Eileen Blecher Golf tournament organized by the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) in a 54 holes event that started Saturday.

It is one of the ongoing KLGU calendar of events which attracted 84 Kenyan top leading Lady Golfers in the two days round three foursomes Matchplay off-scratch featuring all the three Divisions.

KLGU Chairman Jane Babza Nzibo thanked the Ladies for displaying their skills and the Club in hosting the successful event for the ladies who came from across the Golf clubs in the Country.

“This has been one of our prestigious tournaments, and I am confident that all of us have enjoyed it. We as a Union will continue to nurture our young girls to join the sport and also promote ladies’ Golf in all parts of the Country,” said Nzibo.

According to KLGU records, this 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.

The Ladies now focus their eyes on September,15^th for the Golf Park Ladies Open to be played at the Golf Park Golf Club Course in Nairobi.