Published on June 11, 2025 by Agencies for Kenya Online News
Last Updated on 1 year by Agencies for Kenya Online News
Twelve-year-old fast-rising golf star Kanana Muthomi is elated after beating a strong field of elite female amateur golfers to claim the 2025 Muthaiga Ladies Open title on Sunday.
She carded an impressive 2-under par 69 to emerge the winner. She termed it a big win for her and went on to attribute her great show to her ball striking and course management.
“Winning this event means a lot to me. It’s one of the biggest on the calendar and attracts such a high-quality field. I kept things simple,” said Kanana after being awarded the winner’s trophy. “I didn’t force shots, and when I had birdie chances, I took them. I’ve been working on my mid-irons and that helped today, especially on 10 and 11 where I hit it close.” She added.
The tournament, held at the par-71 Muthaiga Golf Club and hosted under the auspices of the Kenya Ladies Golf Union was sponsored by NCBA Insurance as part of NCBA Group’s broader commitment to supporting women’s sport and growing the game of golf in Kenya as part of its Change the Story sustainability agenda.
The event brought together 200 of the country’s top amateur female golfers. It remains one of the most competitive stops on the ladies’ circuit and counts toward Golfer of the Year (GOTY) ranking points.
Kanana, one of the early starters, took advantage of calm morning conditions to post the round of the day. The Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club player kept her scorecard clean for most of the round, carding birdies on holes 4, 10, 11 and 17, while limiting her mistakes to just two bogeys on 7 and 12. She parred the remaining twelve holes, displaying steady form throughout the day to finish at two-under-par 69, the only under-par score in the field.
She finished four strokes ahead of Joyce Njuguini and Mercy Nyanchama, who both signed for 73s (+2) to share second place.
Njuguini started strong, picking up a birdie at the par-4 3rd. However, bogeys on the 2nd, 7th and 9th disrupted her front-nine rhythm. She didn’t start well on the second nine as she gave away strokes again with bogeys on the 14th and 16th but recovered well later on with birdies at the 17th and 18th which helped her pull ahead of the chasing group.
“I gave myself some work to do after the front nine,” Njuguini said. “But I fought hard to recover. The birdies at 17 and 18 helped end the round on a high note. There’s still work to do in terms of course management, but overall I’m happy with how I closed.”
Nyanchama played a more conservative round, making birdies at the 12th and 18th and limiting errors, but bogeys at 5, 8, 11 and 14 pushed her two over for the day. She was consistent through the middle stretch and showed resilience after her bogey on 14 to close with par-par-birdie.
“My strategy was to stay level-headed and give myself pars where possible,” said Nyanchama. “I struggled a bit around the turn, but I stayed calm. I’m especially happy with how I played the last two holes which I managed to hit birdies,” said Nyanchama.
Kellie Gachaga, who tied for fourth place, posted a 75 (+4) after a roller-coaster round. Her front nine included a double bogey on the par-5 7th and additional bogeys on 2, 3, 6 and 9, sending her out in 42. She rebounded impressively with birdies on 13, 14, 15 and 18, along with a bogey at 10 and 12, to come back in 33 — the best back nine among the top five.
Speaking at the event, NCBA Insurance Managing Director Stella Njunge said: “At NCBA, we believe that sport, and especially golf, reflects many of the values that define who we are. We are especially proud to support platforms that advance women in sport as part of NCBA Group’s Change the Story sustainability agenda. The Muthaiga Ladies Open is a shining example of how far the women’s game has come in Kenya, and we’re honoured to contribute to that progress.”
“As insurers, we also want to play a role in safeguarding the ambitions of individuals by offerings services that are designed for people who pursue excellence on and off the course, and we are here to support them,” she added.
