Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club trounced Ebill Omollo of VetLab Sports Club 5 and 3 to be crowned the champion of the 101st edition of the NCBA Bank-sponsored Kenya Amateur Matchplay at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort at the weekend.
The win is a continuation of Karanga’s dominance in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series and places him at the top of the ranking with 1015 points.
Courtesy of the win, he received Sh 120,000 as the prize money and got a ticket to the 2024 Magical Kenya Open (MKO).
Ebill Omollo of VetLab Sports Club received Sh 72,000 for finishing as the runner up while Josphat Rono finished third after Muthaiga Golf Club’s Taimur Malik gave him a walkover.
Karanga thanked members of Kiambu and Ndumberi clubs for the support granted to him and promised to participate and win in more tournaments, including the upcoming Malindi Open and the Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Champioship in August.
Kenya Golf Union Chairman (KGU), Philip Ochola congratulated Karanga for the win and urged him to prepare adequately for the Magical Kenya Open to be held in seven months’ time.
He further appreciated corporate sponsors including NCBA Bank, Betika, Windsor Motors, BetLion, Maridady Motors and Naivas & Kikwetu homes who have supported the tournaments and ensured the players get to play.“I want to especially thank George Mburu and Reagan Kibugi who have supported Michael Karanga and a host of players in this event. I encourage all corporates and people of good will to support our players not only in participating in the local events but also the international ones.
I also appreciate the role that is played by the caddies. We are planning to engage the caddies towards having a structured approach to the management of their affairs and tournaments,” he said.
The Chairman further mentioned that the union is key on inclusivity and is organizing a Golf for Disabled (G4D) tournament later in the year to encourage individuals with special needs to take up the game of golf. “We had a joint consultative meeting on Friday, July 28 with all the golf bodies in the country and we are working towards a one golf strategy,” he said.
