Kenya's junior golfers return after finishing fourth in Cairo

The national junior golf team arrived back home early this morning after finishing fourth in the All-Africa Junior Championship at the Palm Hills Golf course in Cairo, Egypt.

Captain Njonge Kibugu was the best placed Kenyan in third having shot three over par 291. The first position was taken by South African Pascal Gunther with a score of 5 under par 283. Michael Wallace of Zimbabwe was second with a level par 288 score.

Andrew Ngacha Wahome finished 22nd having played 36 over par 324. Elvis Muigua was 27th with a score of 42 over par 330. Muigua had a rough round one with a score of 89, but improved to 84, 80 and 77 in subsequent rounds.

“The first day the climate was not good, it was very windy so I didn’t play well. The second day I improved by five shots, same as third day.

“I learnt a lot of things in Egypt. My focus now is to continue training hard for the upcoming tournaments,” Muigua said.

On the girls’ side, Mombasa based Alyssa Jamal was placed 12th with her teammate Belinda Wanjiru 13th. Alyssa played 53 over par 341, same as the Egyptian pair of Talya Sameh and Farah Baly who finished 10th and 11th.

“Playing in Egypt was a good experience; it was actually my first international tournament. The weather was completely different from what I play in. So it was a completely different experience playing in the cold because where I come from in Mombasa, it is very hot,” Alyssa said.

On playing at Palm Hills, she said; “the course was very interesting, there were a lot of hazards, something I’m not used to. But it was a good and interesting experience for me and I got to learn a lot through this tournament”.

12 countries took part in the boys’ competition while 9 countries were in the girls’ competition. The tournament is for golfers under the age of 18 years.