Top Kenyan amateur Michael Karanga beat clubmate Michael Ngene to win the Kiambu Scratch Matchplay final at the Kiambu Golf Club on Wednesday.
Karanga will now lead top amateurs to Mike Nyangi’s Captain’s Prize Pro-Am, which tees off on Thursday evening through Saturday.
In the 36-hole scratch tournament final, Karanga beat Ngene 7-5 in a neck-to-neck battle.
In the first 18 holes, they scored 2-up with the champion recording 2nd and 13th pars five and three, with all pars and a bogey in the 8th and 15th and double bogeys in the 5th and 12th.
Ngene, on the other hand, managed a birdie in the 5th par four with all pars except a bogey in the third, eighth and 17th and dropping two in the 14th.
As the journey to 36 holes started, it was an easy run for Karanga, who fired four birdies in the 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 12th with all pars while Ngene managed only pars with a bogey in the 4th and 13th.
The Matchplay, which teed off last month, was set to celebrate the top amateurs at the club in the run-up to the Captain’s Prize.
In the semis, Ngene defeated junior golfer Elvis Muigua 1-up while Karanga was the winner against A. Matheka 6-7.
The Kenya Amateur Golf Championships series leader said he is eager to perform well when the Pro-Am tournament tees off.
“Starting tomorrow (Thursday) I have to prove that Kiambu is really my home club," said Karanga, who is ranked 83rd in the world amateur rankings after winning 13 tournaments.