Nairobi — Ugandan Joseph Cwinyaai says winning this year's Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) East Africa Golf Tour has cured the heartbreak of missing out on the top prize at last year's edition.
Cwinyaai reveals he made a vow to come back stronger and is glad to have fulfilled the same.
"Last year I felt bad when they were announcing the winning team on the podium at Karen at the Grand Finale. I prayed to God and asked Him, what can't I really do? I put myself in a winning mood and today I found myself on the podium...me and my team. We are happy that we have won a Ksh 1 million prize that will help to improve a golf club back home," he said.
Cwinyaai -- alongside fellow Ugandans Kabasweka Peace, Kakito Abdul, and Babirye Martha from Toro Golf Club -- carded a total of 106 Stableford points to win the annual tournament, held over the weekend at the Sigona Golf Club in Kiambu.
They outclassed the Nyanza quartet of Jotem Pabari, Preshant Thakar, Ramesh Karia, and Aamit Shah as well as Kakamega's Cedrik Konzolo, Jack Songwa, Julius Oketch, and Allan Muhando -- who finished second and third respectively.
Cwinyaai attributed their success to playing regularly on Kenyan golf courses as well as exposure to international competitions.
"What we did this year was to strategise very well. We have been playing in a lot more Kenyan tournaments and are now used to the greens and the fairways. The team is well experienced because if you see Peace and Martha were just from Morocco where she competed in the All Africa Games. It's a well-deserved win however much the competition was tough," he said.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the bank's Group Director Marketing and Communications Rosalind Gichuru said the competition can only get better in the coming years.
"It has been another exciting tour that we have seen 3000 participants take part in, traversing 5 East African countries, over 26 golf courses and 15 counties in Kenya. We appreciate everyone who has come on board to make sure this is a success, and we are looking forward to having a more revamped and bigger event next time," Gichuru said.
The winning team walked away with Ksh 1 million and a spot at next year's Magical Kenya Ladies Open (MGKLO) in Vipingo Ridge.
