Kenya’s top amateur golfer, Michael Karanga, delivered an outstanding final round of six under par 66, leading his team to a dominant victory in the 2024 Africa Region IV Golf Championship at the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas on Sunday.
Karanga’s stellar performance, along with strong contributions from teammates Adel Balala, who shot five under par 67, and team captain John Lejirmah’s two under par 70, secured Kenya an aggregate score of 23 under par 841 gross.
This marked a commanding 34-shot victory over the rest of the field, allowing Kenya to retain the championship trophy for the third consecutive time—permanently claiming it.
“This is our best performance in this tournament, and I must thank my players for giving their all to win here in Kigali,” said Lejirmah.
“We clinched the win on Saturday, even before the final round, thanks to Karanga’s incredible 64. This victory gives us great motivation for the upcoming All Africa Championship in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe at the end of the month.”
Karanga praised the quality of the Kigali course as a key factor in the team’s success. “This course is one of the best we’ve played on compared to previous events.
Despite my 76 in the second round, I was confident I could bounce back, which I did in the final two rounds,” he said. Karanga also acknowledged his sponsor, Betika, for their continuous support in his golfing career.
Uganda, who had set out to challenge Kenya, managed a final-round score of 211, courtesy of a five under par 67 from Joseph Cwinyaai. Joseph Akena’s one under par 71 and Joseph Kasozi’s 73 contributed to Uganda’s total score of 875 gross, securing them second place.
Host nation Rwanda, led by Kenya-based Felix Dusabe (71), Jacques Byingiro (74), and Jacques Gatera (78), finished in third place with a total of 899 gross.
A total of six countries competed in this year’s tournament, the first major event held at the newly renovated Kigali Golf Resort and Villas.
Next year’s hosts, Mauritius, along with Seychelles, tied for fourth place with a score of 906 gross, while Ethiopia placed sixth with 994 gross. The Seychelles team included a notable father-son duo, Godfrey and Adrian Andrade.
Philip Ocholla, the technical director of the Africa Golf Confederation (AGC), praised the smooth organisation of the tournament.
“We received excellent cooperation from the greenkeeping team, operations director Donel Rama, tournament director Innocent Rutamu, and referee Vincent Wangh’ombe. The lift, clean, and place rule, introduced due to the rains earlier in the week, helped ensure that the players enjoyed their rounds,” said Ocholla.
Source link : https://nation.africa/kenya/sports/golf/karanga-steers-kenya-to-retain-africa-region-four-title-4787468
Author :
Publish date : 2024-10-06 15:32:30
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.