By KPC Sports Reporter
The stage is set for the NCBA Kiambu Open, scheduled for May 8 to 10 at Kiambu Golf Club, with a new champion expected to emerge following the exit of former winners Michael Karanga and Naomi Wafula to the professional ranks.
A key fixture on the Kenya Amateur Golf Circuit, the tournament arrives at a crucial point in the season as players jostle to improve their positions on the Order of Merit standings and compete for a share of the KES 500,000 prize purse.
Karanga, a two-time defending champion, recently turned professional, while Wafula, who claimed the 2023 title, made her transition last year.
Their absence has left the field wide open, setting up an intense battle among the country’s top amateur golfers.
Leading the charge is Order of Merit leader Jay Sandhu of Muthaiga Golf Club, who sits on 560 points after impressive wins at the NCBA Windsor Classic and NCBA Muthaiga Open.
Close behind is rising junior Junaid Manji with 334 points, whose consistency this season has marked him as a strong contender. Ndumberi Golf Club’s Elvis Muigua is also expected to mount a serious challenge.
The Kiambu Open follows the NCBA Trans Nzoia Open Championship, where Geoffrey Kariuki produced a stellar performance to claim victory with rounds of 79, 71, and 75.
Meanwhile, the NCBA Golf Series heads to Eldoret Golf Club this weekend, drawing top players from the North Rift region competing for qualification to the Grand Finale in November at Karen Country Club.
Adding to the excitement is a hole-in-one prize—a JCB Backhoe Loader—on offer at a designated par-3 hole.
NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to growing the sport, noting that the tournaments provide a vital platform for nurturing talent and strengthening Kenya’s golfing community.