Kenya Ladies Golf Union team selection trials are the way to go

The Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) recently conducted trials for their team for the 13th All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), which will be held in Tunis, Tunisia in April.

The trials included two rounds in Sigona and a final round at Windsor on Valentine’s Day. On display throughout the three rounds of competition was an excellent level of golf from both the young junior girls and the more experienced veteran lady golfers.

By using these trials to select the team to Tunis, the KLGU leadership ensured that they gave all the hopefuls an equal and fair chance to fight for a place on the team and they also ensured that they would only be including “in-form” players to the continental championship.

Whilst choosing teams through trials is not without its drawbacks, it is the more widely accepted method for selecting the best team.

Athletics Kenya for example will soon use trials to select the team to Rio 2016; and whilst great athletic performances in the recent past will get our best athletes into the trials, only those with the best current form will make the team. A simple concept really that the KLGU used well.

Away from the ladies, the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) is also involved in selecting various elite amateur teams; but perhaps the most coveted slots that the KGU gets to dish out are the six amateur slots to the Barclays Kenya Open Golf Championship.

These slots are allocated during the course of the KGU Golfer of the Year Series – now imagine if the KGU conducted trials instead.

And not just for Kenyan amateurs but also any amateur golfer from anywhere in the world wishing to compete in the Kenya Open. Can you imagine the level of competition, skills and guts that would be on display during those trials?

Can you imagine the adrenaline as the amateurs fought tooth and nail to clinch one of the six slots into the Kenya Open?

This year, KGU has used its discretion to award one of those slots to French amateur golfer Romain Langasque. This 20-year old golfer is currently ranked first in France, second on the European Amateur Ranking and seventh on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

He was the winner of the British Amateur Championship in June, 2015 and he has an invite to play in the Masters 2016. This young man will join the paid ranks after his trip to Augusta.

By inviting Langasque to the Barclays Kenya Open, the KGU have sent a clear message to our amateurs; that those six highly priced amateur slots are open to the world.

Before I lose my train of thought, imagine for a moment a huge field of 100 amateurs, competing for two weeks before the Kenya Open, fighting for these six slots?

Imagine that this field of 100 amateurs includes the top 20 amateurs from around the globe? Imagine the publicity such a trial would give the KGU and Kenya’s golf scene?

The KLGU have led the way, it is time for the KGU to follow suit.