Mwathi Gicheru is congratulated after finishing the All Africa Junior Teams Championships as the best placed Kenyan player at Windsor Golf and Country Club.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

South Africa once again dominated the All Africa Junior Teams Championships after winning both the Boys and Girls competitions at the par 72 Windsor Golf and Country Club. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

The victors represented by Andries Van Der Vyver, Cilliers Craig, Dewan De Bruin and Roelof Craigled from start to finish with the boys team managing a combined score of 22 under, while the girls team managed a score of 14 under.

Kenya finished second in the competition, a position they held from the first to the last day, with the boys managing a combined score of +13, while the girls’ team managed a combined score of +5.

The results meant that South Africa and Kenya boys’ teams would represent Africa at the World Junior Championships in Japan in June, by virtue of finishing as the best two boys teams, while in the girls’ competition, only South Africa qualified to represent the continent at the global showpiece, since only the best team was getting the limited ticket.

South Africa’s winning boys team

Andries Van Der Vyver finished the competition as the best player on 15 under par 201 after a final day score of four under par 72. Today he picked three shots on the front nine, but played a bogey on the par four second hole, while in the second nine, he had a double bogey on the par four 11^th, but recovered with with four birdies.

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s junior Mwathi Gicheru registered the best scores for Team Kenya boys, managing an overall score of one over to anchor the team to a strong runners-up position.

“The experience was good. I cannot say it was easy, it was a bit hard. The course was playing long, the greens were fast, but we managed to play well. It means a lot because South Africa is a very strong team and finishing second behind them shows that we are also strong and we can compete with the best in Africa,” Gicheru said.

He added: “I feel great. It is a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to represent my country in a world event, and now I have the chance. We are going to work hard and make sure we perform well in Japan.”

In the girl’s competition, South Africa who were represented by Lourenda Steyn, Phenyo Sebata and Casey Twidale, managed a combined final score of 14 under, with Lourenda Steyn being their best player after the three rounds on an individual score of eight under. Phenyo Sebata who had been in a class of her own in the first two rounds, fumbled in today’s final round after dropping six shots on the first nine and dropping three shots in the second nine.

South Africa’s winning girls team

Bianca Ngechu had the best scores for the Kenyan girls on five over.

Team Kenya’s team manager Vincent Mukiri said he was delighted with the general performance of the team, noting that the team had prepared well for the event.

He said the second place finish meant a lot to the country. He noted that as a host country, Team Kenya was delighted to be runners-up on home soil.

“To start with, the team was made up of players from Order of Merit who were then put into a camp, a nine-month camp from where we then selected from a group of 20 players this group of four boys and three girls. Therefore, it is a nine-month program that we have seen presenting four boys and three girls to compete in this event,” Mukiri said.

He added: “When you look at Team Kenya’s performance, the boys have managed to clinch a spot into the World Championship and of course the girls finished second although one team is going to Japan. All in all, it’s still a good performance. Remember before we came we set individual goals and we set team goals. Individual goals were based on what each player wanted to achieve. Team goals was what we wanted to achieve as a team. And I believe silver for each of these teams is a great achievement. For the boys, they get to go to Tokyo, Japan for the World Cup. For the girls, we still do not have a provision that they can go. We are trying to lobby the relevant bodies to also have girls included in this because really they’ve done their best and golf for girls is growing in Africa and one of the ways to encourage it is to create pathways even as the boys are being given such pathways.

Boys Final Leader-board:

1. South Africa -22
2. Kenya +13
3. Morocco +18
4. Uganda +25
5. Zimbabwe +27
6. Zambia +33
7. Mauritius +49
8. Namibia +52
9. Botswana +55
10. Ghana +76
11. Egypt +86
12. Tanzania +100
13. Cote D’Ivore +106
14. Tunisia +130

Girls Final Leader-board:

1. South Africa -14
2. Kenya +5
3. Morocco +29
4. Zimbabwe             +43
5. Tunisia             +45
6. Uganda +61
7. Botswana +87
8. Ghana +104
9. Mauritius +105
10. Zambia +134
11. Egypt +161

Participants at the AAJGTC pull their golf carts during today’s round.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Team Kenya boys and girls maintained their second spot position on the leader board after the second round of the All Africa Junior Teams Golf Championships at the par 72 Windsor Golf and Country Club today. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

South Africa stretched their lead to open an unsalable lead going into tomorrow’s final round where the best two teams in the boys’ competition and one in the girls’ competition will qualify to the World Junior Championchips in Japan in June.

In the boys’ competition, South Africa represented by Andries Van Der Vyver, Cilliers Craig, Dewan De Bruin and Roelof Craig opened a 30-point lead as they are at 18 under, while hosts Kenya who are represented by Mwathi Gicheru, Junaid Ayaz Manji, Tsevi Soni, Yuvraj Rajput follow in the second spot on 12 over. Uganda and Morocco completed the top three list tied on third spot.

South Africa’s 16-year old Andries Van Der Vyver continued with his round one form as he gannered seven under par 72 during today’s round after sinking four birdies on the first nine and sinking three birdies on the second nine to finish the second day with an individual of 11under. His team mate, Cilliars Craig today played six under par 72 after sinking two birdies in the first nine and registering two eagles on par five hole three and par four hole nine. In the second nine, he dropped two shots on the par 4 11^th hole and par four 16^th hole, but recovered with two birdies on holes four and six.

Kenya’s Belinda Wanjiru

“My golf today was good; I picked it from where I left yesterday. I kept the ball on the greens, my putt was so good, but I am satisfied. Today is a totally different experience from the first day, I’m happy with the weather, it’s warmer and beautiful,” Andries Van Der Vyver said.

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Mwathi Gicheru had the best score for the Kenyan team on level par 72 after sinking three birdies and an eagle, but had five bogeys.

In the girls’ competition, South Africa represented by Phenyo Sebata, Lourenda Steyn and Casey Twidale opened an 11-point gap, after finishing the second day on eight under on the leader-board. Kenya who are represented by Bianca Ngecu, Kanana Muthomi and Belinda Wanjiru are second on three over.

Phenyo Sebata anchored South Africa’s scores on three under, after sinking four birdies and dropping a single point.

Boys Leader-board After Round Two:

1. South Africa -18
2. Kenya +12
3. Uganda +18
4. Morocco +18
5. Zimbabwe +25
6. Zambia +27
7. Mauritius +37
8. Botswana +38
9. Namibia +41
10. Ghana +57
11. Egypt +61
12. Tanzania +63
13. Cote D’Ivore +74
14. Egypt +91

Girls Leader-board After Round Two:

1. South Africa -8
2. Kenya +3
3. Morocco +22
4. Tunisia +27
5. Zimbabwe +29
6. Uganda +47
7. Ghana +57

Botswana                    +57

8. Mauritius +70
9. Zambia +92
10. Egypt +108