Handicap 4.6 Kevin Anyien led from the first round to the last to claim the 2023 Royal Junior Strokeplay Championship at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club in Nairobi.
Anyien had a one-stroke lead on day one after shooting 74 to lead by one stroke over three other junior golfers. It was tight at the top after the first round, with Kanana Muthomi, Mwathi Gicheru, Audrey Gachora, and Junaid Manji all tied for second on 75.
The second round was not as close as the junior golfers were now separated into the top ten positions. Kevin Anyien was again the best player of the day with a score of 73, two shots better than Kanana Muthomi, with Mwathi Gicheru right behind her by only one stroke. Audrey Gachore, with 155 points, was not so far off going into the last round.
It was a tight dog fight at the top in the last round, with Kanana at one point closing the gap to one stroke. In the end, they both shot 78, and Anyien finished at the top with a score of nine over par 225. Kanana finished second on twelve over par 228.
“For me, it means a lot because I have been trying to win a lot, but I have been losing going to the 3rd or 4th position. At least now I have gotten my first win; I’m so happy,” said a beaming Anyien.
On Kanana moving to within one stroke earlier in the day, Anyien said, “I wasn’t that worried. I was just like, just enjoy, just do your routine and it will come. If it is yours, it is yours.”
On the other hand, 11-year-old Kanana Muthomi was proud of punching above her weight and getting scores she never expected.
“The first day it was wild; I didn’t know I would play 75; I knew I would play in the 80s, but, you know, things were working out. Then today my putting was, I guess, ok, then it started getting worse somehow,” she explained. That led her to drop back to three strokes behind Anyien.
Meanwhile, Mwathi Gicheru finished third, but he could have done much better had he not changed his style of play.
“I started (the last round) badly because I really wanted to chase Kevin (Anyien), and I lost my focus on the first nine, but then in the second nine, I just tried to enjoy, go through my routine, and do my best. So it went well in the second nine but not in the first nine.
Ultimately, Tanish Gudhka finished with 18 over to settle for fourth overall, tied with Junaid Manji.
By Michael Omondi
