Limuru golfer clinches Karen Challenge title
Paul Muchangi tees off from the ninth tee during the Karen Challenge Trophy round one on September 3, 2017 at Karen Country Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Tournament draws huge field.
- Muchangi emerges victorious at Karen Country Club as his club takes trophy for second straight year.
The Karen Challenge trophy returned to Limuru for the second year in a row but this time through Paul Muchangi who scored an upset victory over galaxy of stars at the par 72 Karen Country Club course on Sunday.
The handicap one Muchangi, who posted rounds of 75 and 76 on day one, fired level par 72 in Sunday’s closing round for a 54-hole total of 223 to beat Railway’s Alfred Nandwa and round one leader Dennis Saikwa of Royal by one shot.
He picked up two bogeys at the front nine, specifically at the third and sixth holes with a birdie in between (fifth) for level par start. At the back nine, Muchangi started well, picking up two back to back pars, but dropped one shot at the 12th.
This did not however discourage him as he managed to roll in three more pars followed by two back to back birdies at the 16th and 17th.Nandwa, on the other hand, fired three over par 75 for a total of 224 to beat Saikwa on countback.
Saikwa, who had shot one under par 71 for a start, collapsed in the afternoon, returning a poor 80. He made an improvement in yesterday’s closing round with a 73, but it came rather late.
Also dropping from second to a joint fourth was Samuel Njoroge of Railway, who carded a 78 at the end, for a total of 226 to tie with Anthony Kinuthia of Golf Park and Vet Lab’s Isaiah Otuke.
Last year’s winner John Karichu from Limuru Country Club found the going tough this time round as he posted rounds of 78, 75 and 76 for 229 to tie with youngster Agil Is-Haq who made 76, 77 and 76.
Njoroge took home the prize for round one on 71 and taking the second and third rounds gross were Jay Sandhu (Royal) on 70 and Anthony Kinuthia on 73.
In the handicap section, Reuben Njoroge won the first round with nett 72 while Ali Mohamed and Taimur Malik clinched the second and third on 70 and 69 nett.
Anthony Gacheru won the stableford subsidiary with 38 points after beating Titus Waithaka on countback. A field of 94 players participated in the event which was the 11th leg in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.
