Golf: Njoroge plays level 36 to reclaim Mount Kenya Championship title

Kenya Railway's Samuel Njoroge in action.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Player oozes class inking one birdie, 13 pars and two bogeys to prevail.

Samuel Njoroge continued with his impressive form as he successfully defended the 68th edition of Mount Kenya Championship at the par 72 Nyeri Golf Club over the weekend.

Njoroge, +3, played level on both days, in the 36-hole duel to emerge victorious ahead of Great Rift Valley Golf Resort’s Simon Njogu, who carded a final gross score of 70,75 (145) for a second-place finish.

Mount Kenya Championship is the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series, formerly Golfer of the Year (Goty) year opener, which is organised by Kenya Golf Union (KGU).

Although the KAGC begins with the Sigona Bowl, which is held at Sigona Golf Club, could not take place after the event sponsors, Kibo Sports, requested for it to be held in March, switching places with Mount Kenya Championship, the second event on the KGU calendar.

This year’s championship was powered by KGU, Nyeri Golf Club, Leleshwa Wines and Mucii Homestays with a curtain raiser Clubnite event on Friday.

Njoroge shot a superb round birdying the opener, a par-four, held par on the par-three second, par-five third, par-four fourth and par-four fifth holes.

He hooked his second shot off the deck on the courses’ signature hole ‘Kerio Valley’, a par-five picking a double-bogey.

He then saved par on the seventh, a par-four, bogeyed the par-four eighth to wind up with a bogey on the to turn in a 36.

After the turn, Njoroge found the green with his second, two putted for par with four successive pars on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes.

“Kerio Valley” came back to haunt him as his approach shot had a bad bounce into the protective bunker. He was well-out onto the green but pushed his putt to the right before draining a bogey.

He then picked four back-to-back pars on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to replicate another 36 from the back nine to finish at level par.

“The course was playing short and the greens were very slow but I had to do what I do best; play my best but it wasn’t good enough,” he said.

“It’s gratifying to successfully defend this title at a course that I played most of my early golf,” he added.

“My appeal now is to any sponsor out there to support me towards the Kenya Open where I promise to play well.”

For his feat, Njoroge earned 60 points which count towards the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship series. Njogu got 36 points with an additional six bonus points while Nanyuki Sports Club’s Peter Rimui got 24 points.

Others were, Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club who got 16.2 points. Muthaiga Golf Club’s Mutahi Kibugu earned 14.4 points plus three bonus points for playing One-under on the first day as Karen Golf and Country Club’s Reuben Njoroge and Anthony Kinuthia had an aggregate score of 151 earning 11.4 points each.

Mutahi fizzled out of contention after his tee-shot landed on the rough next to the 150-yard marker, on the par-four sixteenth, dafted four times but finally shanked it across the right of the fairway from where he found the green on his sixth three putted for a quick nine.

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