Sweet goodbye for Wangari in Limuru Junior Open

The sixth edition of the Limuru Junior Open 2025 concluded on Wednesday at the Limuru Country Club, celebrating not only its champions but the significant growth of junior golf in Kenya.

The event brought together young golfers from various clubs to showcase their talent and sportsmanship.

Junior Convener Carol Jeptoo highlighted the tournament's evolution, noting the increased participation from both boys and girls.

The message emphasised that showing up and putting in effort were as important as winning. Her sentiments were echoed by the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) President, Vincent Mukiri, who outlined plans to adapt its mental coaching programs for its regional golf in schools and even integrate these principles into its "Golf-in-schools" programs and the She Golf Initiative, which aims to increase the number of girls involved.

While consistency, dedication, and budget are key to this expansion, the JGF is committed to making mental training a standard part of junior golf coaching.

"We've realised that the mental game is just as crucial as the physical game. By incorporating mental and mentor coaching into our programs, we're not just training better golfers; we're building mentally resilient athletes who can handle the pressures of the course and life,"  stated Mukiri.

The ultimate goal is to scale these successful strategies beyond the national team.

The prize-giving ceremony honoured top performers across different age categories. Noteworthy winners who included Sean Malesi from the Royal Nairobi Golf Club) emerged victorious with a commendable total of 239, playing rounds of 83, 77, and 79. Muthoni Kioi from Karen Golf Club clinched the title with consistent rounds of 84, 82, 85 (251) in the 13-and-under categories. The spotlight, however, was on the overall champions.

For the 14-15 years category, day-one leader, Belinda Wanjiru from the Vetlab Sports Club, displayed her golfing prowess, finishing with a total score of 230 after rounds of 72, 76, and 82.

In the boys' category, Yuvraj Rajput's consistent play, carding rounds of 75, 81, and 73, earned him the top spot with a total of 229, underscoring his steady improvement as a rising star golfer.

The competition heated up in the 16-18 year age group, where Bianca Ngecu from Muthaiga Golf Club took home the girls' title with a total score of 225, posting rounds of 74, 75, and 76. Wissanji Kayden from Windsor Golf and Country Club was equally impressive in the boys' division, finishing with a total of 230 after rounds of 82, 75, and 73. In the 19-21 years category, Jabari Ongwae from Royal Nairobi Golf Club bagged the title with a total of 248, completing his rounds in 83, 84, and 81, showcasing both skill and resilience.

Channel Wangari's standout performance presented her with the overall girl title, but she achieved an impressive score of 212, 4-under par, after rounds of 74, 71, and 67.

Wangari, who is set to join the University of North Carolina in the United States of America to study psychology, termed the win a sweet victory.

On her outing in the course, Wangari said, "It was one of those rounds where it all came together. I've been striking the ball well all week, but the putter didn't want to cooperate. Today, I finally found a feel of the greens, trusted my game plan, and the putts started to drop. It's a huge confidence booster."

Adding that, "This win is incredibly special, especially since it's my last tournament here in Kenya as I leave for further studies in the States. Looking back at where my game was and seeing how much I've improved feels amazing. It's the perfect way to cap off my time here and gives me a lot of pride in how far I've come."

"This win is incredibly special, especially since it's my last tournament here in Kenya. Looking back at where my game was and seeing how much I've improved feels amazing. It's the perfect way to cap off my time here and gives me a lot of pride in how far I've come."

Finally, the overall boy winner was Kevin Anyien from Golf Park, finishing with a score of 226 with rounds of 74, 74, and 78. The Limuru Junior Open proved to be an excellent platform for young golfers to showcase their skills and determination, with many promising golfers emerging from the meet..