Mbakaya wins the inaugural Ingoo tournament in Kakamega

Ingoo Diaspora Golf tournament inaugural winner Emanuel Mbakaya in action at Kakamega Sports Club, September 14, 2024. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Emanuel Mbakaya achieved a notable victory at the inaugural Ingoo Diaspora Golf tournament, hosted at the nine-hole Kakamega Sports Club, by securing 42 stableford points. 

His consistent performance, with rounds of 24 and 18 stableford points, distinguished him among the 67 participating golfers. 

The tournament, presented by Crown Paints Plc and Dr Patrick Karani, with support from 21 Diaspora Golfers primarily based in Nairobi, marked Mbakaya's first major win following several close finishes. 

Mbakaya expressed his elation at the hard-earned triumph, remarking, "I'm excited about this win, which has been a long time coming. I've been practising for this tournament since Monday, focusing on where to make a par, a birdie, a bogey, or even a double bogey." 

The challenging nature of the tree-lined fairways, compounded by unforgiving roughs, posed a formidable test for the competitors. 

Notably, the par-three third, as well as the ninth and 18th holes, emerged as the most demanding, with the third hole designated as the toughest for both male and female golfers. 

Peter Samba secured second place with 39 stableford points, while Jimmy Akhonya and Beatrice Otieno claimed victory in the men's and women's categories, respectively. 

The First and Second nine prizes were awarded to Logan Busolo and Simon Oketch, recording 21 and 23 stableford points, respectively. 

Noteworthy mentions include Newton Onga'lo and Rose Kabutha as the Sponsor winner and Sponsor winner second, with Jimmy Akhonya and Rosemary Angote earning the Longest Drive Men and Longest Drive Lady awards and Eliud Siganga claiming the Nearest to Pin prize. 

Kevin Lumwaji received the Best Effort award for his commendable performance. 

Martin Oloo of the Ingoo Diaspora Golfers announced the transition of the tournament into an annual event prompted by the positive reception of the inaugural edition.

 A total of 67 golfers partook in the event, with the majority hailing from Kakamega Sports Club, while representations were also noted from Nyanza Sports Club, Kisii Sports Club, Kenya Railway Golf Club, Mbale Golf Club, Ruiru Sports Club, and Machakos Sports Club.