Kellie Gachaga stuns rich field to claim Kenya Ladies Open title

Muthaiga’s Kellie Gachaga on Sunday became the youngest player in the country to win the Kenya Ladies Open Strokeplay Golf Championship.

Gachaga, 16, currently playing off handicap five, beat Kenya’s top ranked female golfer Naomi Wafula by three shots to claim the Mary Neville Trophy.

Starting with a poor 85 gross on Saturday morning, Gachaga eventually managed to pull herself together and fired two impressive rounds of five over par 76 each for a total of 237.

“I didn’t think I had any chance at all after my awful first round. I think I was just too careful with my game and ended up playing badly, but thereafter in the afternoon, I decided to go full blast,” said Gachaga, who besides earning some points in the Golfer of The Year series, also managed to put her name in the World Amateur Ranking.

This was Gachaga’s first ever Goty win since she started her career about four years ago.

Wafula shot 80 in each of the three rounds for a total of 240 to finish second. Vet Lab’s Mary Karano finished in third place on 247 while Jane Njoroge of Kiambu was a shot behind in fourth place.

Veteran Florence Maina won the first round gross which also included a hole in one at the par three-13th, her 15th hole in one.

Kiambu’s Joyce Wanjiru won the second round gross on 82 as Sarah Khanyereri emerged the third round winner on 85.

Winning the 54-hole nett title was Mary Maingi who carded 232 nett, beating Shaila Mauladad and Agnes Nyakio on countback.

In the Sigona Quaich for handicaps 21 to 35, Muthaiga’s Olive Njagi fired 298 gross to beat Rachel Ndei on countback. Jaimee Gachaga, Kellie Gachaga’s younger sister, carded nett 221 to win the nett title ahead of M. Steinman who carded 237. J. Mathenge was third on 239.

In the Dolan Bowl, Karen’s Wanjira Kireri shot 263 to beat Sarah Otolo by 10 shots as Pauline Karanja on 336 won the Mary Wambugu Trophy.