Golf: Mudanyi emerge as winner of the lowest average gross score

Njoroge named 2018 Kenya Amateur Champion

He’s among six amateurs named for Kenya Open

Kenya Railway’s Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge is the winner of 2018 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship, formerly known as the Golf of the Year (GOTY).

He’s also among six top amateurs who’ve entered for this year’s Kenya Open by Kenya Golf Union (KGU).

Njoroge amassed 545.6 points to edge out his closest competitor John Karichu of Limuru Country Club, who managed 469.6 points. Edwin Mudanyi of Vet Lab Sports Club returned third with 333.5 points.

Mudanyi, the 2017 winner, emerged as the winner of the lowest average gross score. Out of his 20 best rounds, he recorded an average of 71.20 strokes while Karichu managed average of 71.60 strokes.

In the club category, Vet Lab Sports Club topped thanks to the sizeable number of amateurs who featured in the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship in 2018. Royal Nairobi Golf Club and Limuru Country Club settled for second and third places.

KGU launched talent development program that’s run Golf Talent Foundation, a subsidiary of the union. The program, KGU said, would take some of the talented amateur golfers through a training regimen to equip them with skills until they turn professional.

“The Kenya Golf Union will get into an arrangement with Golf South Africa and some of the federations in Europe that will see our amateur golfers get opportunities to play in competitions abroad and they will also send some of their amateur golfers to play in Kenya,” said Lucas Marang’a, the KGU chairman.

“We understand that to develop golfers who can hit the world stage as professionals,We must equip our amateur golfers and part of the program will be to expose them to golfers from countries that have always produced the best golfers,” said Marang’a

KGU said five of the six amateur golfers will take part at this year Kenya Open at Karen Country Club from March 14 -17. By the end of this month, the union will also announce the sixth Junior Golf Foundation nominee.

Sergio Garcia could learn plenty from Rickie Fowler. The Spaniard was guilty of appalling petulance in Saudi Arabia, while Fowler rose above the unluckiest of breaks to salvage a most emotional win in Arizona.

The contrasting conduct of these two star names came during another bizarre weekend for the sport. There were further rules skirmishes and President Trump boosted the game’s social media hits by posting after a knock with golf’s two biggest personalities.

Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson closed the gap on world number one Justin Rose and second-ranked Brooks Koepka on Monday after his win in Saudi Arabia, while Rickie Fowler returned to the top 10, adds AFP reports.

The former US Open champion edged out Li Haotong by two shots to claim the Saudi International title.