Despite a challenging seventh-place finish at the 2024 All Africa Golf Team Championship (AAGTC) in Zimbabwe, Team Kenya remains focused on improving and pushing forward.
Kenya’s team, comprising John Lejirma, Elvis Muigua, Josphat Rono, and junior player Krish Beiju, last week competed in the AAGTC at Zimbabwe’s historic 1895 Bulawayo Golf Club.
This comes just a month after Kenya clinched its third consecutive title at the Africa Region IV Golf Championship in Kigali, Rwanda.
However, the team faced difficulties in Zimbabwe, concluding the event in seventh place with a total score of +41 (905) across rounds of 228, 221, 231, and 225.
Speaking to Golf Score Kenya upon their return, Team Kenya Captain John Lejirma said they had hoped for a better outcome.
“Several of our top players had to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstances, impacting our lineup and preparations. We fielded the strongest team we could, but the last-minute changes made it challenging to perform at our highest level,” he said.
Notably absent from the Zimbabwe tournament were Kenya’s elite players Adel Balala and Michael Karanga, both of whom had contributed to the victory in Rwanda but were unable to participate in Zimbabwe due to personal reasons.
They were replaced by Josphat Rono and young talent Krish Beiju.
“Despite the setbacks, we are viewing this experience as a learning opportunity. We’re committed to regrouping and strengthening our team for future championships,” added Lejirma.
In Zimbabwe, South Africa emerged victorious with an impressive combined score of 843, finishing the tournament 21 under par.
Their strong performance (209, 209, 214, and 211 across rounds) put them 31 strokes ahead of the second-place team, Zambia, who finished at +10 (874).
Zambia’s consistent play, with rounds of 214, 223, 222, and 215, secured them a well-deserved runner-up position.
Zimbabwe, the host nation, took third place with a score of +14 (878) after rounds of 220, 213, 227, and 218.
Mauritius fought hard for fourth place, scoring +27 (891) through rounds of 224, 218, 223, and 226, while Egypt followed closely in fifth with a score of +28 (892) after rounds of 221, 221, 226, and 224.
Uganda came in sixth, finishing with +32 (896).
After an encouraging start with a 217 in Round 1, they faced challenges in subsequent rounds, closing with scores of 220, 231, and 228.
Kenya followed in seventh, while Malawi took eighth place at +48 (912) with rounds of 227, 226, 235, and 224.
Eswatini finished ninth with +87 (951), Gabon came tenth with +90 (954), and Botswana rounded out the competition in eleventh place with a total score of +100 (964).