Michael Karanga touched down in Kenya on a Friday morning and wasted no time heading straight to the golf tee.
Karanga, on a hot streak, emerged victorious at the Kabete Open, which unfolded at the par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club in Nairobi on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Karanga brought with him a wealth of experience gained from his recent participation in the Egypt Amateur Golf Championships.
In the third and final round of the competition, which marked the 19th leg of this year’s Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC) series, Karanga impressed by carding a remarkable two-under-par 70. This Kiambu-based golfer, who had secured a respectable 6th-place finish at the North African Championships, acknowledged the valuable role that the Egypt Amateur tournament played in refining his skills for the home event.
“Competing in Egypt was a challenging experience, and returning home gave me an advantage. The more I engage in such tough contests, the more I develop the skills necessary for the next game,” Karanga explained.
Karanga, who made history as the first Kenyan to break into the top 100 amateur players worldwide, began his campaign with a joint second-place finish at one-under-par 71, alongside Ruiru’s Bernard Omondi, trailing behind Ugandan Godfrey Nsubuga. He then extended his lead to four strokes after the second round on Saturday.
During Saturday’s play, he started strongly with a birdie at the par-four first hole, maintaining six consecutive pars until the eighth hole, where he narrowly missed a putt for par. He did drop a shot at the 10th hole after a full swing but quickly recovered with birdies at the 12th, 14th, 15th, and 16th to card a 68.
On the final day of the tournament, Karanga began with a birdie on the 7th hole and a bogey on the third, recording all pars for a level-par 36 on the front nine. His second nine was nothing short of impressive, with two birdies on the 11th and 14th holes and all pars for a score of two-under-par 34, securing his victory.
Having already secured a ticket to the Magical Kenya Open by winning both the Kenya Amateur Stroke Play and Kenya Amateur Matchplay, Karanga remains the golfer to watch.
You can view the final Kabete Open Leaderboard by following this link: https://bit.ly/45eFSyX
