Balala, Lejirma propel Team Kenya to strong finish at Africa Amateur Golf Championship
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 08.02.26. | 20:46
South Africa's Jack Buchanan dominated the field to cruise to a six-shot victory in the third edition of the Championship
Top-ranked Kenyan amateur golfer from Nyali Golf and Country Club Adel Balala shot five over par 293 to finish as the best-placed Kenyan at the Africa Amateur Championship, which concluded at Royal Johannesburg in South Africa.
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The Mombasa-based golfer finished tied 21st after returning four rounds of 73,73,73 and 74 in the final round played on Sunday, 8 February.
In the opening round, he registered four birdies but five bogeys saw him return one over par 73.
He repeated the feat in round two and a double bogey in the par 3 fifth denied him a par performance in round three.
He double bogeyed the par 4 seventh in the final round, in addition to two other bogeys, picking two birdies for a two over par show.
He finished two places above Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) defending champion ,John Lejirma, who shot rounds of 70, 74,71 in the opening three rounds, but endured a difficult day on Sunday for 80, eight over par to bring what would otherwise been an under par performance to +7 to place 23rd.
South Africa's Jack Buchanan dominated the field to cruise to a six-shot victory in the third edition of the Championship.
The 21-year-old tamed the venue’s famed East Course with a 21-under-par total of 267 to top the leaderboard ahead of Ivan Verster, Charl Barnard and JL ‘Dewan’ de Bruin, who smashed the championship low round record with a magnificent 12-under-par 60.
All three finished tied for second on a 15-under-par total of 273.
Buchanan will now tee it up alongside the world’s best golfers in The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, as well as earning exemptions into The Amateur Championship, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, the Investec South African Open and the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions powered by Attacq.
The South African, who hails from Cape Town, continued a rich vein of form in the final round, going out in 33 courtesy of birdies at the 3rd and 8th either side of a superb eagle at the par-5 6th.
Two birdies on the final stretch saw him sign for a five-under-par 67 and lift the first elite amateur championship of his promising career.
"It feels great to get the job done this week. Any time you win, it is really good, but to win a championship of this calibre it really means a lot to me," he said. "It has not sunk in yet, but it feels unreal to get into the events that you get into by winning this. Royal Johannesburg has been a great host this week and the course has been in unreal condition.”
He added: “I am just grateful that The R&A can put on such a good event and you guys are so accepting of college guys coming to play. My coach at school let me come play, so I am just really fortunate to be able to play in such an event like this which has so much meaning behind it.”
Other Kenyans, Michael Karanga (+13), Daniel Kiragu (+14), Elvis Muigua (+22) finished tied 28th, 30th and 40th respectively, having been part of the 46 golfers who made cut. Elly Barno and Dennis Maara did not make cut after the opening two rounds.
