By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS Kiambu Golf Club is set to host the latest leg of the 2026 NCBA Golf Series this Saturday, 29th August, as more golfers compete to qualify for the Grand Finale set for Karen Country Club on November 28. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet. Apart from the Grand Finale slots up for grabs on Saturday, golfers will have a chance to win a brand-new JCB 3DX Backhoe loader for a hole-in-one on hole number 8, courtesy of JCB Ganatra. Around 200 golfers are expected to tee off in a fiercely competitive round with the Overall Gross Winner, Men’s Gross Winner, Lady Gross Winner, Division 2 Men Winner, Division 2 Lady Winner, Division 3 Winner, and the leading Junior earning their slots for the Karen showdown in November. Last year, Lennox Mutua emerged as the overall winner during the club’s leg of the 2025 NCBA Golf Series. Playing off handicap 21, Mutua posted an impressive net score of 67 to claim both the Overall Winner title and top honors in Division C, outshining a field of 140 golfers who turned up for the tournament. In Division A, Caesar Mugo (HCP 9) walked away with top honors after registering a net score of 72. Among the ladies, Carol Maina (HCP 31) secured the top spot with a net score of 73, ahead of Charity Njoroge (HCP 13), who finished as runner-up on 75. Division B was fiercely contested, with Ken Kimathi (HCP 15) producing a fine round of net 69 to secure top position. Kimathi also doubled as the overall Men’s Winner. Meanwhile, junior golf action will continue on Sunday, August 30, as the Ruiru Sports Club hosts the second leg of the 2026 NCBA U.S. Kids Golf Fall Local Tour – Nairobi. The tournament will bring together boys and girls aged between five and 18 years, competing in age-appropriate divisions designed to provide competitive experience while supporting their development in the sport. JGF President James Ondigo said: “The second leg of the NCBA U.S. Kids Golf Fall Local Tour is an important opportunity for our young golfers to build on the experience from the opening tournament and continue competing in a structured environment. We expect another exciting tournament at Ruiru Sports Club, with players across the different age categories getting valuable competitive exposure as they work on their skills and consistency. As the Fall Tour progresses, these events will play an important role in giving our juniors more opportunities to compete.” The Ruiru event follows the opening event held at Thika Greens Golf Resort the past Sunday, August 23 where Ivan Kipyegon Kimutai, James Tino, and Paren Reel posted the best scores.  Kimutai and Tino recorded one-under par 35 in the Boys 10 category as Reel carded one-under par 71 in the Boys 11 category. In the girls categories, Leticia Mwangale and Ashley Gachora had the best scores for the day in the Girls 11-12 and Girls 13-14 categories respectively, both playing equal par. The young golfers will also have an opportunity to earn Priority Status points, which could qualify them for U.S. Kids Golf international events, including the Regional Invitational and the U.S. Kids Golf Regional Championship.  

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Nyali Golf & Country Club professional Daniel Nduva produced a remarkable back-nine comeback to win the NCBA Royal Classic, the second leg of the 2026 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, played at Royal Nairobi Golf Club. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

Nduva, who began the final round tied for second place, carded a level-par 72 to finish the tournament on 3-under par 213, securing his maiden Sunshine Development Tour title and the winner’s cheque of KES 400,000 from the tournament’s KES 2 million prize purse.

The victory was anything but straightforward for the coastal golfer, who endured a difficult opening nine. His front nine featured bogeys on the 1st and 8th holes as well as a costly double-bogey on the 7th, leaving him with work to do heading into the closing stretch.

However, Nduva mounted a spirited recovery on the back nine, sinking crucial birdies on the 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes to claw his way back into contention and eventually emerge victorious.

Speaking after his win, Nduva credited his driving and resilience for helping him secure the title.

“It feels really good to get this win. The front nine was challenging and I had a few unlucky breaks, but I stayed patient and kept believing in my game. On the back nine, I hit every fairway and every green, and that gave me the confidence to attack the pins and create birdie opportunities.”

“My driving was probably the strongest part of my game today. When you’re hitting the driver well, it gives you confidence throughout the rest of your game. I managed to make five birdies on the back nine and that ultimately made the difference.”

“Last year I struggled with injury, so to come back and win again means a lot to me. This victory is a reminder that golf is about staying patient, fighting through the difficult moments and believing in yourself even when things are not going your way.”

For his efforts, Nduva pocketed KES 400,000 from the tournament’s KES 2 million prize purse, in addition to valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.

The battle for the title remained tight throughout the final round, with six players eventually sharing second place on 1-under par 215.

The group comprised Kenya’s John Lejirma, Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, David Wakhu, Greg Snow, amateur Adel Balala, and Nigeria’s Sunday Olapade, who had started the day as the overnight leader.

For their performances, the six players each earned KES 114,833 from the prize purse.

Commenting on his performance, Snow said: “I’m pleased with the way I fought throughout the week. Royal Nairobi is always a demanding course and you have to stay patient because opportunities can come at any time. I gave myself chances, but a few shots here and there made the difference. Finishing tied for second is still a positive result and gives me confidence heading into the next events.”

Lejirma, who continued his impressive start to life as a professional golfer, said:

“It was a solid week overall. There are definitely positives I can take from my game, even though I would have loved to get over the line. The competition was very strong and it came down to small margins. As a new professional, every tournament is an opportunity to learn, improve and continue building momentum for the season.”

Amateur golfer Adel Balala said: “It’s encouraging to be in contention against such a strong professional field. I learned a lot over the three days, especially about managing pressure when you’re near the top of the leaderboard. I’ll take the lessons from this week and continue working hard on my game.”

On his part, overnight leader Sunday Olapade said: “It was a tough final round and unfortunately I couldn’t maintain the momentum from yesterday, but that’s golf. The competition was excellent and I enjoyed the challenge. I’ll take the positives from the week and continue working hard as the season progresses.”

The NCBA Royal Classic attracted a strong field of 96 local and international professionals and amateurs from across Africa and beyond, all competing for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.

The tournament also marked the second event of the 2026/27 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season following the opening leg at Thika Sports Club, won by Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera.

Attention now shifts to the next leg of the Tour at Vetlab Sports Club this Sunday, 14th to 16th June, as players continue their pursuit of Sunshine Tour progression opportunities and valuable Order of Merit points in what promises to be another highly competitive season.