NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 18 – Hot on the heels of competing as part of the Kenyan Team in South Africa during the All Africa Junior Golf Championship in April, Kenyan Juniors from Muthaiga Golf Club, Bianca Ngechu and Junaid Manji had only one month to do their school exams as well as prepare before heading to The Junior Open in Scotland to compete in what is one of the most prestigious junior events in the world.
The two juniors joined a field of 120 players aged between 12-16 years and drawn from 70 countries to compete over three (3) days in the wet and windy conditions at the links course of Kilmarnock (Brassiere) Golf Club that was hosting the Junior Open from 15th-17th July.
Part of the renowned juniors participating the event included the eventual winner Hyosong Lee who is ranked the 7th best player in the world Amateur Golf Ranking, the highest ranked player, girl or boy and who has already won the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup on the Japan LPGA Tour.
Other popular players who have competed in the Junior Open in the past include Patrick Reed who won the event in 2006 and went on to win the Ryder cup and the 2018 Masters tournament and another eight Tour events.
The final day saw Junaid finish overall position 41 in the boys’ category while Bianca finished an impressive position 21 in the girls’ category. Bianca went on to also win for Kenya the African Trophy having beaten perennial rivals South Africa, Morocco, Egypt as well as Angola, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Gabon Mauritius, Botswana, Cameroon and Ghana who were also competing in the event.
Talking to Bianca on her achievement, the girl was over the moon as she celebrated the achievement with her family.
Junaid was a bit shy in his celebrations but promised to be back in Europe soon to win the Claret Jug which is the main trophy Pros compete for during the Open, A Major golfing event in the Pros International Calendar.
“A Very Big Congratulations to Junaid and Bianca and a major achievement for Kenya and Junior Golf. First time we are making such strides and all the work we have put in over the last 3 years is paying off and the results across are quite visible. We are for sure on the right trajectory. I would like to commend the coaches John Van Liefland and CJ Wangai who have been training the juniors in the national junior golf squad since November 2023. The hard work and training is bearing good fruit.” said The JGF President Regina Gachora.
The two juniors now head back home to participate in some of the local junior golf competitions of a packed August calendar before jetting again to Scotland for an all-expense paid, one-week summer session Congaree Global Initiative Scholarships that they had been nominated for by virtue of their exemplary performance last year where they will receive intensive training in golf under the watchful eyes of world renowned coaches.
