Michael Karanga delivered a commanding performance to retain the 2025 NCBA Kiambu Open title, carding a tournament-low final round of 69 to seal victory at the par-72 Kiambu Golf Club.

The Ndumberi Golf Club chairman finished with a three-round total of 214 (73, 72, 69), three-under-par, to walk away with Sh115,600 from the Sh500,000 prize pool sponsored by NCBA Bank.

Leading by two shots heading into the final round, Karanga kept his nerve in wet and tricky conditions to maintain control at the top.

His final round featured eight birdies, including a strong back-nine charge, offset by four bogeys.

The win pushed him up to second on the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) Order of Merit standings with 723 points, narrowing the gap on leader John Lejirma to just 72 points.

“The course was quite challenging due to the rains, but I’m glad I defended my title,” Karanga said post-tournament.

“I saw I was ranked third and knew I had to put up a strong show this weekend.”

Royal Nairobi’s John Lejirma finished six shots behind on 220 (+4) after rounds of 75, 72 and 73.

A spirited start to his final round with three consecutive birdies was undone by a costly double bogey on the 7th and a string of dropped shots on the back nine.

He earned Sh69,400 for his second-place finish and maintained his position at the top of the KAGC rankings.

The battle for third was tightly contested, with Sigona’s Hetansh Shah, defending champion Naomi Wafula of Vipingo Ridge and Kiambu’s own Joyce Njuguini all tied at +9 (225).

Each player earned Sh36,200 after three solid rounds in a highly competitive field.

Shah bounced back impressively from a poor opening 80, improving with rounds of 74 and 71. Wafula, who lifted the trophy in 2023, produced a composed final round 74, while Njuguini showed remarkable consistency with identical rounds of 75 over the three days, leveraging home-course advantage.

At the awards ceremony, NCBA Kiambu Branch Manager Julius Mburu reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to growing local sport.

“This event is about more than prize money or points, it’s about building platforms for talent across the region. We’re proud to support the next generation of golfing champions,” he said.

He also hailed the presence of regional players from Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi, terming the Kiambu Open a symbol of unity and sporting growth in East Africa.

The NCBA Kiambu Open, part of the KAGC series, attracted top amateur golfers across the region for three intense days of action at the 9-hole Kiambu layout.

Attention now shifts to the next stop of the series, the Ronald Marshall & Toby Gibson Cup, set for May 23-25 at Muthaiga Golf Club.