Nairobi: The Junior Golf Foundation has lined up 48 tournaments across the country in 2025 to attract more junior golfers to play and get the Western American Golf Association (WAGA) ranking points.
According to Kenya News Agency, Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) President Regina Gachora expressed optimism about the future of junior golf, following impressive performances by junior players at the Africa Amateur Golf Championship in South Africa earlier this month. She highlighted that three juniors, Channel Wangare, Kanana Muthomi, and Bianca Ngecu, were part of Team Kenya, securing 4th, 11th, and 12th positions respectively.
Gachora emphasized that the achievements of these young players indicate that JGF’s efforts in developing talent are yielding results, with aspirations of seeing a JGF product qualify for and compete in the Magical Kenya Open within five years. She noted that the pipeline is already proving successful, as evidenced by Njoroge Kibugu’s participation in the 2022 Magical Kenya Open as a junior. Kibugu has since progressed, qualifying for the 2025 Magical Kenya Open as the best-ranked Kenyan professional.
The JGF has placed its top junior golfers in the national team, where they undergo rigorous training three times a week. Gachora underscored that consistent training and practice are crucial for elevating the level of golf and ensuring more Kenyan golfers earn qualifications based on merit rather than limited slots.
Meanwhile, the NCBA US Kids Nairobi Spring tournament at the VetLab Sports Club marked the first tournament of the year, with noteworthy performances despite early season challenges. In the boys 13-14 years’ category, Aidan Gachora excelled with a score of 1 over par 73, securing victory. Amar Shas followed closely with 75 points, while Tsorav Soni finished third with a score of seven over par 79.
In the girls 11-12 years category, Chloe Chiuri claimed the top spot by playing five over par 79, narrowly edging out Siqian Yu by one stroke. Ashley Muyela completed the top three, trailing by an additional stroke, as the competitors were separated by just three strokes in total.