Krish Beiju Shah’s consistency over the four rounds paid off as he successfully defended the Kenya Junior Strokeplay championship at the Muthaiga Golf Club.
After a slow start with a score of 78, Kris scored identical 75 and 75 in rounds two and three before improving to a 74 in the final round. The final round was particularly impressive as he picked five birdies and played level par in six holes.
“Round one was 50-50 for me as I didn’t finish that well. As the tournament moved on, I got more consistent and if you are consistent in this game, I think you will have a good chance of winning. I played seven over day 1, then four over, four over and three over, so consistency is good,” explained Shah.
Meanwhile, Shashwat Harish was in the top two throughout the four rounds at the Muthaiga Golf Club. His score of 73 in the first round was followed by 78 in the second round and 77 in the third round. At hole 17 in the final round four, he was only one stroke behind Krish Shah. He played level par at hole 18 while Krish picked a birdie to win the championship by two strokes.
“The tournament was fun, I really enjoyed it. I started well, kept it consistent because I was at the top throughout the three days. The fourth day I fell just a little short on the back nine,” said Shashwat who finished with a score of 20 over par 304.
The best girl was Bianca Ngecu at position five with a combined score of 31 over.
“In round four the first nine was good, I just missed a few putts, it wasn’t that bad (six pars and three bogeys). The second nine I played well and I am happy with the score that I came up with,” she said.
Juniad Manji finished third with a score of 22 over par 306. His score of 79 in round one was not the best but he caught up with the leaders after scores of 76 and 75 in the second and third rounds. He finished with a score of 76 in the fourth and final round.
“Round four went well, better than I expected. The start was a bit rusty as I was feeling a little bit of pressure. But after the first three holes, I got settled in and then I found the rhythm and the flow just happened. I ended up shooting a decent score (of 76),” he explained.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
