Kenya’s Michael Karanga is among 266 world elite amateur golfers to compete in this year’s R&A Amateur Championship in Ballyliffin, Ireland.
The 129th R&A Amateur Championship tournament has been scheduled for June 17 to 22.
To qualify for the tournament, a golfer must be in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) top 2,000 or have a handicap of +1.5, according to the R&A official website.
Karanga is currently ranked at position 114 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) official website.
In an exclusive interview with Golf Score Kenya, Karanga said he will travel to Ireland next week, June 14, to prepare for the tournament.
“It is an invitation from my world ranking. It is based on the order of merit worldwide,” said Karanga, who is the reigning Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series winner.
Of the 266 players in this year’s tournament in Ireland, only 14 are from Africa.
South Africa has 12 golfers, and Kenya and Egypt have one player each.
Last year, South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht defeated Ronan Kleu from Switzerland to be declared the winner of the 128th R&A Amateur Championship at Hillside, England.
Lamprecht became the third South African winner in the last six years after Jovan Rebula in 2018 and Aldrich Potgieter in 2022.
At least 288 players from 38 countries participated in last year’s event.
Karanga’s trip abroad comes just a few days after winning his first KAGC title this year during the Sunday NCBA Coronation and Bendor Trophy at Nakuru Golf Club.
Karanga delivered a remarkable performance in the three-day tournament, finishing at 8-under par with a total score of 211.
On Friday, he scored 71 (two under par), followed by a level par 73 on Saturday, and concluded with a stunning 67 (six under par) on the final day.
“Sunday’s score of 67, six under par, was my lowest for a tournament this year. The Nakuru Golf Club posed quite a challenge with its hard greens, so achieving a 67 under those conditions is truly exceptional golf,” said Karanga.