Handicap 4.6 Kevin Anyien won the 2023 Royal Junior Strokeplay Championship at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club in Nairobi, leading from the opening to the final round.
On the first round, Anyien led by one stroke over three other junior golfers after shooting 74. After the first round, Kanana Muthomi, Mwathi Gicheru, Audrey Gachora, and Junaid Manji were tied for second place on 75. It was close at the top.
Since there was more distance between the junior golfers in the top ten spots, the second round was not as close.
Again, Anyien emerged as the top player of the day, finishing two shots ahead of Kanana Muthomi with a score of 7. Anyien outscored Muthomi by three shots, and Mwathi Gicheru trailed her by just one stroke. Approaching the final round with 155 points, Audrey Gachore was not far behind.
At one point, Kanana narrowed the lead to just one stroke in a close dog fight at the top. Ultimately, both players shot 78, with Anyien taking first place with a nine-over-par total of 225. On a score of twelve over par 228 Kanana came in second.
“For me, it means a lot because I have been trying to win a lot but I have been losing going to 3rd or 4th position. At Least now I have gotten my first win, I’m so happy,” said a beaming Anyien.
On Kanana moving to within one stroke earlier in the day, Anyien said “I wasn’t that worried. I was just like just enjoy, just do your routine and it will come. If it is yours, it is yours.”
11-year-old Kanana Muthomi was proud of punching above her weight and getting scores she never expected.
“First day it was wild, I didn’t know I would play 75, I knew I would play in the 80s but, you know, things were working out. Then today my putting was I guess ok, then it started becoming worse somehow,” she explained. That led her to drop back to three strokes behind Anyien.
Mwathi Gicheru finished third but he could have done much better had he not changed his style of play.
“I started (the last round) badly because I really wanted to chase Kevin (Anyien) and I lost my focus on the first nine, but then in the second nineI just tried to enjoy, go through my routine and do my best. So it went well in the second nine but not the first nine.
Tanish Gudhka finished with 18 over to settle for fourth position overall tied with Junaid Manji.
