Kenya's Top Amateur Golfer Excited to Play Against the Best at Africa's Oldest Tournament

7 September 2023
Capital FM (Nairobi)
By Omondi Onyatta

Nairobi — Kenya's star amateur golf player Michael Karanga says he is looking forward to this weekend's Egyptian Amateur Open Golf Tournament in El Gouna, Egypt.

The 28-year-old says he will give his best against the crème-de-la-crème of amateur golf in the Africa's oldest amateur golf competition that tees off on the Red Sea resort on Sunday.

"To the golfing fraternity, we promise that we will do our best when we compete there against others from around the world. We thank the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) for giving us this opportunity...Daniel Kiragu and I ... to gain exposure in Egypt," Karanga said.

Karanga, ranked 87th in the world by the World Amateur Golf Rankings, further expressed his desire to fly the country's flag high in Egypt.

"It is a good opportunity for us two to compete against other amateur golfers from around the world. It is a chance we are really grateful for...we will work hard to bring the trophy home and make the country proud," the Kiambu Golf Club player said.

Karanga will be heading to North Africa full of confidence after a winning streak that extends to July, including victories at Limuru Open, Coast Barry Open, Kenya Amateur Matchplay Championship, Malindi Open Vasco da Gama Cup and the Kenya Amateur Strokeplay Championship.

His other triumphs in 2023 include the Railway Invitational, Coronation Cup, Muthaiga Open, Windsor Classic and Sigona Bowl.

His red-hot form earned him a spot on the world's 100 best amateur golfers for the first time early last month, where he was placed 95th on the WAGR.

Furthermore, Karanga is on course for the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC) series Order of Merit.

Speaking at the same time, KGU Tournament Director David Ndung'u described the 102-year-old Egyptian event as a perfect opportunity for the duo to put their skills to the ultimate test by competing against their peers.

"The Egypt Amateur Open is one of Africa's oldest amateur golf tournaments. It has a very rich history and attracts a very quality field. By taking some of our best players to test themselves against some of the very best from other countries, they will improve their performances," Ndung'u said.

Karanga and Kiragu have been part of KGU's Africa High-Performance Program.

A great outing at El Gouna for both of them will earn them precious WAGR points.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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