Top seeded Mikael Kihara and Elvis Muigwa are set for an interesting battle at the finals of the 2023 Kenya Golf Junior Match Play Championship at the Sigona Golf Club.
Kihara was the best player in the qualifiers on day one and has kept that form all the way to the semi-finals. His first match was against Tsevi Soni, which he won 8 and 7.
In round two, Kihara was up against Aarush Vara, and once again he was in good form to win 7 and 6. His biggest test was in the quarterfinals, where he won 4 and 3 against a very determined Kevin Anyien.
Getting to the semi-finals, he encountered a different challenge in Adnan Merali, who had shocked Ngondo Kimemia 5 and 4 in the quarterfinals. But Kihara was composed to beat an aggressive Merali 4 and 2.
“The tournament was very good so far up until the semi-finals. I only had one shaky hole in the semi-finals at number 8, where I got a triple bogey, but otherwise it has been smooth sailing,” observed a beaming Kihara.
For Elvis Muigwa, who was seeded 7th, his journey to the finals started with a round one 4 and 2 win over Denis Gakuo, who was seeded 32.
The second round was tricky as he faced 10th seed Muthusi Mukundi. He passed the test with a 5 and 3 win to sail into the quarterfinals. This is where he was tested to the limit, going three down at one point before recovering to win 3 and 2. Another big test awaited him in the semi-finals, where he played Krish Shah and won 4 and 3.
“You know Krish is the 2023 Kenya Junior Strokeplay champion. I enjoyed playing against him because he is a very solid player,” said Muigwa.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
