Budding Golfers Shine at NCBA Invitational Junior tourney

• Zimbabwe’s Tanaka Ashley won the 15-18 years category
• Kenya’s Shuhan Peng won the 11 years and under
• It also served as qualifying event for the World Amateur Golf Ranking

The NCBA Kenya Invitational Junior Tournament came to a thrilling conclusion at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, showcasing exceptional talent among the participating junior golfers over the three-day event that commenced on Friday.

Organized by U.S. Kids Golf in collaboration with the Junior Golf Foundation Kenya and sponsored by NCBA Bank, the inaugural tournament featured over 120 junior golfers from Kenya and various parts of the world including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, China, Ghana, India, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

The tournament provided a unique platform for budding golfers to showcase their skills, compete in age-specific categories and strive for the coveted U.S. Kids Golf Priority Status which allows them to participate in other U.S. Kids Golf tournaments.  The final results of the tournament were as follows:

Boys Categories:

Boys 15-18 years olds category winner Tanaka Ashley of Zimbabwe receives his award from KGU Chairman Phillip Ochola

Boys 15-18 years: Tanaka Ashley of Zimbabwe secured the championship title with an impressive score of 6 over-par, showcasing consistency with rounds of 70, 78, and 74. Tawana Mangone, also from Zimbabwe, claimed the second position with a total of 17 over-par (72, 83, 78), while Kenyan Kevin Anyien secured the third spot with a score of 21 over-par (82, 76, 77).

Boys 13-14 years: Ewan Widor from Austria emerged victorious with a final score of 14 over-par, edging out Kenyan Tsevi Soni in a countback after both players tied in the final tally. Yuyraj Rajput from Kenya secured the third position with a total of 25 over-par (80, 79, 82).

Boys 12 years: Munesu Chimhini from Zimbabwe claimed the top spot with an outstanding total of 9 over-par (75, 73, 77), triumphing over Austrian Sean Widor in a countback. Aidan Gachora from Kenya secured the third position with a total score of 30 over-par (79, 83, 84).

Boys 11 years: Shuhan PENG from Kenya dominated the category with a score of 54 over-par, securing the top spot ahead of Palash Tank (56 over-par) and Ryan Njuguna (58 over-par) who came in second and third, respectively.

Boys 10 years: Adam NESBITT from Kenya claimed the top spot with a total of 12 over-par (83, 75, 70), followed by Bavin BOYAPATI from India in second (29 over-par) and Guanzhe WANG in third (33 over-par).

Boys 9 years: The top junior golfers in this category were Ishaan PATEL (+29), Jeff KIBE (+33), and Niam SHAH (+39) from Kenya.

Boys 8 years: Paren REEL (+6), Zandro OBIERO (+17), and Nathan MWAI (+31) emerged as the top golfers, all hailing from Kenya.

Boys 7 years: The top performers were James Tino MACAKIAGE (+8), Hakeem MUTUNGI (+12), and Zekai CHEN (+30).

Boys 6 years and younger: The top three positions were secured by Surya BONGU (+9), Aryan PATEL (+17), and Adriel WAMBUA (+26).

Girls’ Categories:

Kenyan junior golfer Malaika Kasio tees-off at Windsor during the NCBA Kenya Invitational Junior tournament

Girls 15-18 years: Sanjana Sharma from Kenya claimed the top spot with a total of 49 over-par (82, 86, 97). Tatiana GENEVIEVE secured the second position with a score of 55 over-par (90, 87, 94), and Hazel KURIA from Kenya claimed the third spot with a total of 56 over-par (93, 90, 89).

Girls 13–14 years: Miriam MASIYA from Zimbabwe secured the top position with a total of 15 over-par (76, 74, 81). Audrey GACHORA from Kenya secured the second spot with a total of 25 over-par (79, 82, 80), and Rohini SHAH from Kenya came in third with a total of 32 over-par (86, 81, 81).

Girls 11–12 years: Kanana MUTHOMI from Kenya emerged as the champion with a total of 14 over-par (81, 73, 76). Sophia NESBITT from Kenya secured the second position with a score of 35 over-par (85, 81, 85), and NKINI PASHA came in third with a final tally of 53 over-par (85, 93, 91).

Girls 9–10 years: Ashley MUYELA from Kenya claimed the top spot with a total of 17 over-par (41, 42, 42). Zianna KHODA secured the second position with a score of 19 over-par (41, 39, 47), and Ashley GACHORA claimed the third spot with a total of 24 over-par (44, 47, 41).

Girls 8 years and under: The top performers among the 8-year-olds-and-under were Irene ASIYO (+19), Vianna DAVE (+20), and Leticia MWANGALE (+34), all hailing from Kenya.

Speaking during the tournament’s Prize-giving ceremony on Sunday, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said: “We are thrilled to witness the conclusion of the inaugural NCBA Kenya Invitational Junior Tournament, an event that has not only showcased the exceptional talent of young golfers but also reaffirmed our commitment to nurturing and supporting the growth of junior golf.”

Dedication and passion 

Kenyan junior golfer Lael Mwangale in action at Windsor during the NCBA Kenya Invitational junior tournament

“The remarkable performances over the past three days have been a testament to the dedication and passion of these budding athletes and we are proud as NCBA to have supported this event. We look forward to witnessing the continued success of these promising young golfers on their journey to new heights.”

The status earned at different levels during the tournament, allowed the junior players to qualify for other U.S. Kids Golf Major Championships, including Regional, International, and World Teen Championships.

The Priority Status earned from this event will be valid from March 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025.  In addition, the tournament also served as a qualifying event for the World Amateur Golf Ranking for Boys and Girls aged 15–18.