Kinyanjui warms up to Sigona victory

Duracoat Golf Masters third leg overall winner, Catherine Kinyanjui, follows the trajectory of her tee-shot at Sigona Golf Club, June 19, 2026. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

A biting morning cold was not enough to cool down the fiery competitive spirit at the picturesque Sigona Golf Course on Friday, as a massive field of 246 golfers braved the chilly weather for the action-packed third leg of the 2026 Duracoat Golf Masters series.

After all was said and done, Catherine Kinyanjui stole the spotlight with a masterclass performance. Playing off a handicap of 34, Kinyanjui posted an astonishing 44 stableford points to emerge as the tournament's overall winner.

Her victory speech doubled as a double celebration, as she joyfully revealed to the cheering audience that the triumph coincided with her 14th bar anniversary. 

"I have been having a challenge with my short game, particularly chipping and these past three days I focused on improving on the same. I'm glad it paid off with this great win,"said Kinyanjui.

Not far behind was the Men winner Ian Karenju. Exploiting his handicap to maximum effect, Karenju fired a stellar 43 stableford points to claim the top men's prize.

Fierce rivalries were witnessed atop the leaderboard, particularly in the men's category where a single point separated the podium finishers.

Darshan Mistry, playing off a handicap of 14, secured the Men second spot on a dramatic countback score, edging out third-placed Steve Gitao, also playing off a handicap of 14 after both carded impressive scores of 42 stableford points a piece. 

In the Ladies' division, Melisa Detho played a brilliant round off a 35 handicap to secure the pole position with a score of 39 stableford points. She was closely followed by Jackline Sirai, playing off a decent handicap of 12, who scooped the third-place finish, one point shy with 38 stableford points.

Meanwhile, Teresa Murui pulled off a rare and heartwarming feat, demonstrating true resilience by claiming her second successive "Best Effort" award in the series, following her previous nod at the Nakuru leg, last weekend.

The commercial categories witnessed some serious fireworks. Lydia Mokaya of the Royal Nairobi Golf Club turned the day into a personal trophy raid, pulling off a rare double by conquering both the Longest Drive and Nearest to Pin ladies contests.

On the men's side, Vet Lab Sports Club powerhouse Gulraj Sehmi unleashed a monstrous tee shot to claim the Longest Drive title, while Munene Nyamweya showed ultimate touch around the green to walk away with the Nearest to the Pin silverware.

The tough-playing nine-hole Nanyuki Sports Club will host the fourth leg of the 13-event series on July 11