The NCBA Junior Golf Foundation US Kids Spring Local Tour concluded on Sunday after an eight-tournament series that began in August.
The tour, which kicked off on August 11 at Limuru Country Club, culminated at Muthaiga Golf Club with the championship final.
Throughout the tour, Vet Lab Sports Club hosted the event on August 25, Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club hosted three tournaments on September 8, October 6, and October 27, Royal Nairobi Golf Club on September 22, and Sigona Golf Club on October 13.
The grand finale was held at Muthaiga on Sunday, November 3.
Four young golfers—Justin Ngeera, Yolanda Yu, Ashley Muyela, and Jeff Kivi—excelled in their respective categories across the eight tournaments.
Boys 13-14 Years Category
Justin Ngeera emerged as the overall winner in the Boys 13-14 category, amassing 129.25 points from eight events.
Ngeera won two tournaments—at Vet Lab on August 25 and Windsor Golf Hotel on September 8.
Despite finishing fourth in the final on Sunday, he maintained his lead over Peter Gathogo, who finished with 105.08 points.
During the final at Muthaiga, Alpha Ndungu clinched the win with a score of 77, followed by Peter Gathogo and Mwathi Gicheru, who tied with 81, while Ngeera scored 82.
Gathogo’s points were not enough to overtake Ngeera in the overall standings.
“I definitely felt the pressure in the last four holes. I was just one shot behind the leader, but I struggled in the final stretch, playing four over. It wasn’t my best, but I’d like to congratulate my competitors for pushing me, and I’m grateful to my mum for being my caddie,” said Ngeera.
Girls 13-14 Years Category
The Girls 13-14 years category was a close competition, with only 25 points separating series leader Yolanda Yu and Amani Murithi.
After finishing sixth placed in the penultimate round at Windsor Golf Hotel, Yu faced pressure going into the final.
However, at Muthaiga, she delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 76 to win the category and earn double points, elevating her total to 203 points.
“I actually played well on the second nine. I started the first nine with two bogeys and five over, but I kept my pars and managed birdies, ending with five over overall. The second nine was much better, and I even played one under. I was thrilled,” said Yu.
Yu’s victories at Vet Lab (August 25), Windsor Golf Hotel (September 8), and the Muthaiga finale solidified her lead.
Amani Murithi, who finished fourth at Muthaiga, secured second place in the overall standings with 149 points.
Girls 11-12 Years Category
In the Girls 11-12 years category, Ashley Muyela was crowned the overall winner with 190 points.
Muyela won three of the seven tournaments she participated in, including events at Limuru Country Club (August 11), Windsor Golf Hotel (October 27), and the finale at Muthaiga on Sunday, where she scored 78 to secure 60 valuable points.
This brought her total to 190 points, placing her at the top of the leaderboard.
Muthoni Kioi, who finished fourth with a score of 86, earned 24 points to end in second place overall with 152 points.
Ashley Gachora finished second on the day with 83, followed by Siqian Yu at 85.
Gachora and Siqian tied for third in the final standings with 125 points.
Boys 12 Years Category
Jeff Kivi took the overall title in the Boys 12 years category, concluding the championship with an impressive score of 75, seven shots ahead of runner-up Shuhan Peng.
Kivi led with 225 points, followed by Murithi Gatu with 160 points and Palash Tank with 147 points.
“After this year, I’ll keep practicing because I’m heading to a golf academy in South Africa for high school. I’m excited to take my game to the next level over the next three years,” Kivi said.
Sponsor Support and Future Competitions
NCBA, the tournament series sponsor, expressed satisfaction with the players’ progress and noted the improvement in scores over the past two seasons.
NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora, who also caddied for his children during the tour, shared his thoughts: “It’s been wonderful seeing the kids enjoy themselves. The course played well, and as a ‘daddy caddie,’ you’re blamed for every mistake! But the quality of golf we’re seeing is remarkable, with winners in all categories scoring in the 70s.”
Following the Spring Local Tour, the Junior Golf Foundation’s program continues with the six World Ranking Tournaments, beginning with Nandi Bears on November 10 and Kisii at the end of November.
Two additional tournaments are scheduled for December before the NCBA Invitational regional tournament at Windsor in January.