Krish Shah is the new Kenya Junior Strokeplay champion that came to an end yesterday at the par 71 Muthaiga golf club.
The vetlab player fired a total of +19 303 for the title, by edging out Mikael Kihara and South African Ewan Van Niekerk who were second and third respectively.
He won the title by one stroke at the end of a gruelling four rounds. Going into the fourth round, he had a one stroke lead over second placed Kihara, who finished second +20 304 who was already nine shots ahead by the sixth hole, but Kihara managed to reduce the gap to six shots by the end of the first nine.
In the second nine, Shah was a bag of nerves as he hit two double bogeys and two bogeys in quick succession. Kihara on the other hand started with a birdie then a bogey.
Half way through the second nine, Ewan who started off in third place had picked an impressive three birdies to join the party. Shah, Kihara and Ewan were tied for the lead, but then Shah picked a birdie at number 15 with Ewan and Kihara playing level par.
“The first nine was very good, but the second nine started at hole 11 where it wasn’t good from there. I came back at hole 15 (with a birdie) which made it fine. But it should have been easier than I made it,” said Shah.
Kihara on the other hand says he had a very shaky start that messed his first nine.
“After a good start, I hit a triple bogey and a double bogey then a bogey. I think he (Shah) had basically gone with it but I said it is not over until it is over, so I just kept it going and said six is not a lot of shots as you saw in the back nine,” he explained.
“I had nothing to lose because I was chasing which was very comfortable for me and unfortunately, I started with a bad round 1(85, ten shots behind the leader), so I just said I might as well attack and go for it and there is nothing to lose. I came back, the tactic worked! Said a beaming Ewan.