Elvis Muigua from Kiambu Golf Club

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Top seed Mikael Kihara and Elvis Muigwa are set for an interesting battle at the finals of the 2023 Kenya Junior Match Play Championship at the Sigona Golf Club.

Mikael was the best player in the qualifiers on day one and has kept that form all the way to the semi-finals. His first match was against Tsevi Soni which he won 8 and 7. In round two, Kihara was up against Aarush Vara and once again he was in good form to win 7 and 6. His biggest test was in the quarter-finals where he won 4 and 3 against

a very determined Kevin Anyien.

Getting to the semi-final, he encountered a different challenge in Adnan Merali who had shocked Ngondo Kimemia 5 and 4 in the quarterfinals. But Kihara was composed to beat an aggressive Merali 4 and 2.

“The tournament was very good so far up to the semi-finals. I only had one shaky hole in the semi-finals at number 8 where I got a triple bogey, but otherwise, it has been smooth sailing,” observed a beaming Kihara.

For Elvis Muigwa who was seeded 7th, his journey to the finals started with a  round one 4 and 2 win over Denis Gakuo who was seed number 32. The second round was tricky as he faced 10^th seed Muthusi Mukundi. He passed the test with a 5 and 3 win to sail into the quarterfinals. This is where he was tested to the limit, at one point going three down before recovering to win 3 and 2. Another big test awaited him in the semi-finals where he played Krish Shah and won 4 and 3.

“You know Krish is the 2023 Kenya Junior Strokeplay champion. I enjoyed playing against him because he is a very solid player,” said Muigwa.

Michael Karanga in action at the weekend.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club trounced Ebill Omollo of VetLab Sports Club 5 and 3 to be crowned the champion of the 101^st edition of the NCBA Bank-sponsored Kenya Amateur Matchplay at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort at the weekend.

The win is a continuation of Karanga’s dominance in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series and places him at the top of the ranking with 1015 points. Courtesy of the win, he received Sh 120,000 as the prize money and got a ticket to the 2024 Magical Kenya Open (MKO).

Ebill Omollo of VetLab Sports Club received Sh 72,000 for finishing as the runner-up while Josphat Rono finished third after Muthaiga Golf Club’s Taimur Malik gave him a walkover.

Karanga thanked the members of Kiambu and Ndumberi clubs for the support granted to him and promised to participate and win in more tournaments, including the upcoming Malindi Open and the Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship in August.

Kenya Golf Union Chairman (KGU), Philip Ochola congratulated Karanga for the win and urged him to prepare adequately for the Magical Kenya Open to be held in seven months’ time. He further appreciated corporate sponsors including NCBA Bank, Betika, Windsor Motors, BetLion, Maridady Motors, and Naivas & Kikwetu Homes who have supported the tournaments and ensured the players get to play.

“I want to especially thank George Mburu and Reagan Kibugi who have supported Michael Karanga and a host of players in this event. I encourage all corporates and people of goodwill to support our players not only in participating in the local events but also in the international ones. I also appreciate the role that is played by the caddies. We are planning to engage the caddies towards having a structured approach to the management of their affairs and tournaments,” he said.

The Chairman further mentioned that the union is key to inclusivity and is organizing a Golf for Disabled (G4D) tournament later in the year to encourage individuals with special needs to take up the game of golf. “We had a joint consultative meeting on Friday, July 28 with all the golf bodies in the country and we are working towards a one golf strategy,” he said.

The KAGC Series takes a break this weekend and resumes on August 11-13 for the second edition of the Malindi Open “Vasco Da Gama Cup” at Malindi Golf & Country Club.