Kenya finish second in East Africa Challenge Cup Golf Championship

What you need to know:

  • Kenya and Uganda tied with a total of 16 points each after the final round singles in this year’s East Africa Challenge Cup Golf championship at the Addis Ababa Golf Club course in Ethiopia at the weekend.
  • Being the defending champions, Uganda will retain the trophy at least for the third straight year having won it in 2014 at home and last year in Kigali, Rwanda.
  • According to the East Africa Challenge cup rules, the defending champions automatically retain the trophy in case of tie with another team after the conclusion of four rounds.

Kenya and Uganda tied with a total of 16 points each after the final round singles in this year’s East Africa Challenge Cup Golf championship at the Addis Ababa Golf Club course in Ethiopia at the weekend.

Being the defending champions, Uganda retained the trophy for the third straight year having won it in 2014 at home and last year in Kigali, Rwanda.

According to the East Africa Challenge cup rules, the defending champions automatically retains the trophy in case of tie with another team after the conclusion of four rounds.

During Friday’s afternoon four ball better ball third round, both Kenya and Uganda won two games and lost equal number of games for Uganda to remain at the top with 11 points against Kenya and Ethiopia’s 10 points.

Host Ethiopia won three matches and lost one to tie in second place with Kenya. However during Saturday's final round singles, though Kenya won six matches out of possible eight, it was not good enough for them to post an outright victories as Uganda collected five points which they needed to force the tie and hence retain the title.

Ethiopia, who won only three matches in the final round, wound up in third place with a total of 13 points and Tanzania was placed fourth on 11 points.

Rwanda remained in fifth place with only two points. During the four ball better third round, Kenya’s top pair of Alfred Nandwa and Daniel Nduva beat the Ugandan team captain Adolf Muhumuza and his partner Ronald Otile 1-up while Robinson Owiti and Edwin Mudanyi beat Rwanda 3-2.

The two juniors, Agil Is-Haq and Kibugu Mutahi lost to Tanzania 1-up and John Lejirmah and Simon Njogu went down 2-up to the Ethiopian pair.

Kenya Golf Union(KGU) Chairman and team leader Muchau Githiaka was pleased with the team’s performance.

“The team played well, especially the two juniors. All the players played with great team spirit," said Githiaka.

Next year’s championship will be hosted by Tanzania with the hosting club to be announced early next year.

The Kenya team which was made up of Alfred Nandwa, Robinson Owiti, Edwin Mudanyi, Daniel Nduva, John Lejirmah, Simon Njogu, Agil Is-Haq and Mutahi Kibugu was due back home on Sunday.