The hilly Sigona Golf Club course delivered a thrilling menu of playoffs to break the tie in six categories of competition.
The boys’ 12-year category has become a fierce battle between Amar Shah and Aidan Gachora who have won the last four competitions. At Sigona, they both scored 78 points to force the first playoff of the day.
A statement to newsrooms indicates that they were still level after the first playoff hole with Aidan Gachora winning in the second playoff hole for his second consecutive tournament win in the US Kids Local Tour.
“I have been playing well lately, I feel really good. This tournament (US Kids Sigona) was probably the toughest because, in the front nine, I had a tough time. The last tournament (at Vetlab) both nines were quite simple, but this course is much harder, very difficult,” observed Gachora.
Gachora won at Vetlab a week ago with Amar Shah finishing second. The playoff put a lot of pressure on both players.
“I actually missed a four-foot putter for par in the first playoff hole (to win it). The pressure really got to me,” added Gachora.
Amar Shah lost to Gachora for the second tournament in a row. He was a bit under the weather at Vetlab. Sigona was a different ball game altogether.
“Today my long game was really good, I would say. I loved it. But my short game wasn’t that good, I three-putted quite a few times. I don’t know, I couldn’t putt today, that is basically it,” said Amar.
In the boys 11, Jeff Kivi who has been dominant in this category was pushed all the way before winning it at the playoff against a much improved Shuhan Peng. Both boys scored 79 points in regular play before Kivi won it in the first hole of the playoffs.
“The playoff was good, it was not that easy but I tried my best and made my putt. The person I was going against (Shuhan Peng) is my close friend and it was kind of hard watching him lose,” observed Kivi.
On learning about the playoff, Kivi said “Ooh! My heart was pounding so fast! I fear playoffs because the person I always play with is my friend. I have won most of the tournaments, I was pretty shocked that he tied with me. I know he is improving, and I think I also have to improve.”
Shuhan Peng on his part said he needs to improve on his long game to win the next tournament.
“I was doing well with my short game which saved a lot of pars for me. When I knew about the playoff, I was nervous, very nervous because I had lost all my playoffs. Even today I didn’t play well in the playoff, my drive went in the bushes and I couldn’t come out,” he explained.
The boys’ nine-year category also went to a playoff. Ishaan Patel and Jerome Njuguna both scored an impressive 38 points with Patel winning the playoff.
The girls’ 8 and under category was also decided via a playoff with Irene Asiyo emerging as the winner ahead of Lynette Zawadi. The girls had tied with a score of 43.
It was the same case in the girls’ 9-10 years category where Ashley Gachora beat Aarna Mengi in the first playoff hole after they tied on 40 points.
Hazel Kuria also won the girls’ 15-18 years category via a playoff after tying on 93 points with Cherise Wachira.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
