John Lejirma of Kenya Railway Golf Club emerged as the champion of the 2024 NCBA Nyali Open on Sunday, held at the picturesque Nyali Golf and Country Club.
Lejirma delivered a commanding performance, finishing seven strokes ahead of his closest competitor, Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club.
With a three-round total of 212 (-1), he was the only player to finish under par.
He opened with a round of 74, surged ahead with an impressive 68 in the second round, and sealed his victory with a composed final round of 70.
“On the first day, the greens were a bit slow because of the rains. On the second day, I managed to play three under (-3), and on the last day, the pressure kicked in, but I held on until the last hole,” said Lejirma.
The Nyali Open marks Lejirma’s sixth title in this year’s Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.
He has participated in 24 out of the 28 tournaments held this season.
His other victories include the NCBA Diani Beach Masters, the NCBA Gold Fields Trophy at Kakamega Golf Club, the NCBA Ruiru Open, the Ronald Marshal and Toby Gibson Cup at Njoro Golf Club, and the Trans Nzoia Open.
Lejirma, who is also the Team Kenya Captain, finished second in the 2024 KAGC standings with 670 points. He won the award in 2022.
Karanga secured second place at the NCBA Nyali Open with a total score of 219 (+6).
He started the tournament strong with a 69 in the first round but lost momentum in the subsequent rounds.
A second-round score of 73 and a final-round 77 saw him fall behind, unable to match Lejirma’s pace.
Despite his loss at Nyali, Karanga is the overall winner of the 2024 KAGC series, amassing an impressive 834.5 points from 18 tournaments.
Karanga’s nine victories this year include the Uhuru Shield Golf Tournament, NCBA Kiambu Golf Open, NCBA Manchester Salver, NCBA Kenya Railways Invitational, NCBA Coronation Cup, NCBA Limuru Open, NCBA Coast Open Barry Cup, Karen Challenge, and the Malindi Open Vasco da Gama Cup.
Last year, he dominated the series, winning 13 out of 17 tournaments.
Karanga has won the KAGC title two-times in a row, 2023 and 2024.
He automatically qualified for the Magical Kenya Open in 2025.
Rwandan golfer Dusabe Felix from Kigali Golf Resorts and Villas and Golf Park’s Sammy Mulama tied for third place with a total score of 225 (+12) at the Nyali Open.
Dusabe posted rounds of 77, 77, and 71, while Mulama recorded rounds of 73, 74, and 78.