Mutahi Kibugu clinches Kabete Open Junior title
Mutahi Kibugu follows the progress of his tee from the 5th hole tee during the 2019 Kabete Junior Open round three on April 9, 2019 at Vet Lab Sports Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Khanyereri, currently Kenya’s top female golfer playing off handicap three, fired one over par 73 in the closing round to add to Monday’s 79 and 77. She won by five shots from Muthaiga Golf Club’s Emmanuel Njugu who posted 234.
Muthaiga Golf Club’s Mutahi Kibugu clinched the overall gross title in the 2019 Kabete Open Junior golf tournament despite bogeying the last three holes in Tuesday’s final round at the par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course.
The off scratch Kibugu, who had fired rounds of 75 and 70 in Monday’s first and second round, was level par for the final round up to the 15th hole having made birdies on the ninth, 12th and 14th, with an equal number of bogeys on the second, sixth and eighth.
He, however, three putted both the 16th and 17th, missed a two-footer for a par at the 18th after an awful chip from behind the green bunker after a massive driver.
“I really wanted a low score today, and I have been playing solid golf, but my putting was terrible. I denied myself many birdie chances by missing small putts which I should not miss," said Kibugu after receiving his overall prize from Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) President Gitonga Kabera.
His last hole bogey saw him close the day with three over par 75 for a three rounds total of 220 gross. The overall nett title went to Golf Park’s Caren Onyango with three brilliant nett rounds of 60, 63 and 73 for a total of 196 nett. Taking the 16 to 21 years gross category was Royal Nairobi’s Serah Khanyereri with a total of 229 gross.
Khanyereri, currently Kenya’s top female golfer playing off handicap three, fired one over par 73 in the closing round to add to Monday’s 79 and 77. She won by five shots from Muthaiga Golf Club’s Emmanuel Njugu who posted 234.
In the 14-16 years category, another Muthaiga player Njoroge Kibugu, a young brother of Mutahi Kibugu, carded a total of 241 gross with a two over par 74 in the closing round, to win by three shots from Vet Lab’s Kaisan Virani who had carded 244 gross.
And finally in the 13 years and under, home player Channelle Wangari - who has dominated most of the events in that category over the past one year - fired rounds of 82, 76 and 79 for a total of 237 gross, to win by a whole 16 shots from Nyali Golf and Country Club’s Andrew Wahome who posted 253 gross. A total of 42 juniors participated in the event sponsored by the JGF.
