Sensational 12-year-old Kanana Muthomi delivered an outstanding performance at the first 2025 NCBA Interschools Golf Tournament at Windsor Golf and Country Club on Friday.
She returned a score of two-under-par 70
Representing the Home-Schooling team, Kanana partnered with Jeremie Maina, Aahill Jivanjee, and Jeff Kivi to claim victory in the 11-14 years category.
With the best three scores counting for the team in each round, Kanana emerged as the standout player of the day.
She said took a cautious approach on the front nine, opening with level-par on the first five holes before carding a birdie on hole 15.
However, she immediately dropped a shot with a bogey on hole 16, finishing the first nine at level-par 36.
Her back nine was exceptional—she started with a birdie on the first hole, played level-par on the second, and then holed an eagle on the third.
A further birdie on hole five, coupled with just two bogeys, saw her card 34 for a total of 70.
“I had a really slow start in the first nine as I was trying to play safe, but I realized that wasn’t working. So, in the second nine, I decided to be more aggressive, and it worked,” said Kanana.
Despite her impressive score, she admitted that the course conditions were challenging.
“It was quite tough; the greens weren’t in great condition. I had a lot of birdie putts, but many of them lipped out,” she explained.
Her teammate Jeff Kivi posted a score of 77, with 38 on the front nine and 39 on the back.
“The course was playing well, but I made a few mistakes in my putting—that’s normal. On the front nine, I struggled with my second shots approaching the green, but I tried to improve in the second nine,” said Kivi.
Home-Schooling team secured the 11-14 years category title with 232 points, followed by Rosslyn Academy (241) and Kenton College (243).
In the 15-18 years category, Home-Schooling team again took the top spot with 245 points, ahead of Braeburn Garden Estate (263) and Peponi School (267).
The 10-years-and-under category saw St. Ruth School triumph with 127 points, just three ahead of second-placed MLC Schools, while Kenton College finished third.
Newly elected Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) President Vincent Mukiri praised the tournament’s growth.
“This year, we have seen an increase in participating schools from 19 to 20 and a rise in the number of players from 135 to 151. Our goal is to keep growing these numbers and ultimately have such competitions running throughout the year,” he said.
He said they look forward for juniors to represent Kenya in international tournaments.
“Our ultimate aim is to see our junior players compete at the PGA level or even represent the country in the 2027 Olympics. The sky is the limit for those who aspire to play at the highest level,” he said.
He also emphasized the benefits of golf.
“Golf is a great sport, not just for health and wellness but also as a life lesson—it teaches players how to handle success and failure, as well as how to interact with others. It’s a game that can be played into old age.
