Kenya’s top amateur golfer Michael Karanga placed third in the opening round of the Egypt Amateur Open Championships at the par 72 El Gouna Golf Club in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday evening.
The Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC) series leader fired one over par 73 to finish third behind Moroccan Abderhamane Fakori and Swiss international Marc Steinhauser who tied in top position with level par 71 ahead of today's second round.
Karanga, who won both the Kenya Amateur Strokeplay and Kenya Matchplay titles, was named alongside Daniel Kiragu to fly the country's flag at the annual tourney in the 54-hole tournament in the North African nation.
The Kiambu-based player was impressive in all the nines. With three over 39 in the opening round, he started off with two birdies in the sixth and ninth and posted pars in one, two, and four before dropping one in three, seven and eighth with a double bogey in the fifth.
He was equally impressive in the second half, where he fired five birdies in 11th, 13th, 16th, 17th, and 18th with a single par in the 14th before dropping a shot in 10, 12, and 15th for two under par 34.
Before leaving for Egypt, Karanga said he understood the El Gouna Golf Club course very well after competing there during last year’s All-Africa Golf Championships and he was ready to bring home good results.
“I understand the course very well and I am heading there with the sole purpose of returning home with good results,” said Karanga.
Last year, he teamed up with Limuru’s Dennis Maara, Kenya Railways' John Lejirma, and Vipingo’s Adel Balala to catapult the country to third position.