Home player Kibugu wins Muthaiga Open title
Mutahi Kibugu follows the progress of his tee shot from 10th tee on during Muthaiga Open Golf Championship at Muthaiga Golf Club on February 23, 2020. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Now playing off plus one, Kibugu, dropped a shot at the par three second which he recovered with a birdie at the sixth
- The off-scratch Kibare who started with a 75 and closed in with 74, took the runner-up prize with a total of 218 gross while another Muthaiga player Neer Chandaria was third with 221 gross
- In the handicap section, Vet Lab Sports Club’s Leo Zurovac carded a total of 216 nett made up of 76, 69 and 71, beating Kiambu’s Mike Karanga on countback
Despite double-bogeying the 11th hole in the closing round, home player Mutahi Kibugu still went on to claim the overall title in the 2020 Muthaiga Open golf tournament at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course on Sunday.
Now playing off plus one, Kibugu, dropped a shot at the par three second which he recovered with a birdie at the sixth. He started the back nine well, rolling in a birdie at the 10th, but pushed his tee shot to the right at the par three-11th, punched the ball onto the green, but made three putts.
He dropped another shot at the 16th but ended the round well with a birdie at the 18th for his back-to-back two over par 73 for an all rounds total of three over par 216 to beat the USA-based Steve Kibare by two shots. “The course was playing well and my game was near perfect, save for my double at the 11th and two other holes. I will go back to practice in preparation for the Magical Kenya Open at Karen next month,’’ said Kibugu.
The off-scratch Kibare who started with a 75 and closed in with 74, took the runner-up prize with a total of 218 gross while another Muthaiga player Neer Chandaria was third with 221 gross. Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge took the first round gross on 72, and winning the second and third were Mike Ngene of Kiambu and Muthaiga’s Bhavnish Chandaria on 74 and 73 gross respectively.
In the handicap section, Vet Lab Sports Club’s Leo Zurovac carded a total of 216 nett made up of 76, 69 and 71, beating Kiambu’s Mike Karanga on countback as Moses Kisia of Vet Lab finished a shot behind in third place. Muthaiga’s Collins Adagala and Ruiru’s Chris Andrea won the first and second round nett on 70 each and the third round nett winner was D.Gitonga on 71 nett.
Speaking during the prize giving ceremony, Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Chairman Anthony Murage announced the names of the six amateurs who will participate in the Magical Kenya Open at Karen Country Club from March 12 to 15. The six include two juniors selected by the Junior Golf Foundation on the basis of the JGF Order of Merit. They are Taimur Malik of Muthaiga who is currently in School in South Africa, and the new Muthaiga Open champion Mutahi Kibugu.
The others are Kenya Amateur Match play champion Paul Muchangi, Kenya Amateur Stroke play champion Victor Joseph of Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club in Tanzania, 2019 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series Order of Merit champion Samuel Njoroge of Kenya Railway Golf Club, and Nyali’s Daniel Nduva who finished second in the KAGC series.
