-JGF Coast Representatives Mary Mariga summed it up saying, “You saw a mother run 100 meters in this heat because her 7-year-old topped the ball? That’s love. That’s why we do this. Today a mother was caddy, psychologist, cheerleader, nurse and fan club. Without mothers, there is no junior golf in Kenya.”
-This was the fourth leg of the ongoing 6-leg NCBA US Kids Local Tour Coast edition, organized by the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) and powered by NCBA Bank.
-And as the sun set over Nyali, mothers packed clubs heavier than the children themselves, wiped sweaty faces, and drove home tired but proud, the scorecards will be filed, but the hugs will be remembered longer, and as the Tour now heads to Diamond Leisure on November 15, expect more birdies and more mothers running.
MAARUFU MOHAMED-GOLFNEWSLINKS.
The leaderboard at Nyali Golf & Country Club on Sunday, November 1, 2026, will tell you that Angel Wangari won Girls 15-18 years’ group with 106 gross and David Kaguru topped Boys 15-18 years with 84 gross, but it will not tell you the real story of the day.
The real story was not on the greens, it was just off them and was in the arms of mothers at the fourth leg of the ongoing 6-leg NCBA US Kids Local Tour Coast edition, organized by the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) and powered by NCBA Bank.
As it swung into Nyali, the 18 battle for teenagers was serious, but the 9-hole contest for the babies, the 6, 7 and 8-year-olds, was something else entirely, emotional, beautiful, exhausting, and for every swing, there was a sprint to mum.
When 6-year-old Eihab Bat-Heif holed a long putt to win Boys 6 & Under with 53 gross, ahead of Samuel Muli (74 gross), he did not fist-pump to the crowd, he ran 20 meters to his mother, buried his head in her leso and cried.
When 8-year-old Maria Zawadi won Girls 8 & Under with 53 gross, beating Ariana Njeri (56 gross) and Adele Mola (58 gross), she looked left and right, found her mum, and shouted, “Mum, I did it!”
“Mothers had the busiest day today,” laughed Coast JGF Representative Mary Mariga, who was overseeing the leg. “For the older ones, it’s about gross and handicaps. For the youngest ones, golf is still about comfort, encouragement and love. Every good shot, they run to mum. Every bad shot, they still run to mum. That is the spirit of US Kids Golf, we are growing characters before champions.”
And Mariga reminds that, “This tour started humbly on September 27 at Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi, moved to Nyali on October 4 for Leg 2, then to Diamond Leisure in Diani, Kwale on October 18, and back to Nyali on Sunday for Leg 4, now heads back to Diamond Leisure on November 15, before the grand finale at Vipingo on November 22. It’s a journey across the Coast, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale. We are taking golf to the child, not waiting for the child to come to golf. And thanks to NCBA, no child pays to dream. Today we had over 40 kids, from 6 years to 18 years. That is growth.”
For the big kids, gross is Boss, were the fight was gritty under the Mombasa humidity playing a round of 18 holes, which saw in Girls 15-18, Angel Wangari held her nerve for 106 gross to claim gold, ahead of the consistent Khatija Pasta’s 121 gross and Lisa Ayinba’s 128 gross.
In Boys 15-18, David Kaguru was in a class of his own, firing an impressive 84 gross to win, four shots clear of Aryan Awe Joseph’s 88 gross, with Alpha Wise third on 109 gross.
The 13-14 girls saw Nikki Pattni continue her fine Coast form with 89 gross to win, ahead of Kanika Shah’s 97 gross, while in n the boys’ same age, Lukas Kampa carded a solid 86 gross to win, as Promise Ajello and Casey Ombija tied second on 98 gross each, with Rian Makwana third on 103 gross.
The 11-12 years’ girls crown went to Ivanna Wanjiku with 102 gross, ahead of Sarrah Kudrati’s 120 gross and Shanial Alama’s 129 gross.
In Boys 12 years, Vian Dodhia topped with 100 gross, beating Hassan Hamid’s 107 gross and Vicenzo De Florio’s 113 gross.
Cyril Theuri Wamweru stole the Boys 11 years’ side with a superb 89 gross, ahead of Alexis Salzmann’s 100 gross and Craig Fassler who had 102 gross.
But the crowd, mostly mothers holding water bottles, caps, biscuits and umbrellas, was glued to the little angels 100 % at heart, playing 9-holes.
In Girls 9-10, Avian Klee won with a fine 40 gross, with Samara Teneva and Shantel Wanjiku tying second on 49 gross each, and Reina Rai third on 54 gross.
In Girls 8 & Under, Maria Zawadi brought 53 gross to win a tight one over Ariana Njeri’s 56 gross and Adele Mola with 58 gross.
Boys 10 years saw Niall Chauhan win with 46 gross, just one shot ahead of Jamie Noonan 49 gross, with Keith Ajello and Amay Shah tied third on 50 gross each.
The Boys 9 years was electric, Quentin Putzker won with 47 gross, with Tiras Kaguta and Odell Mola tied second on 52 gross each, while Dyles Aliero and Fajiri Abuya Gwaro also tied third on 64 gross each.
Boys 8 years went to Benny Salzmann with 51 gross, ahead of Emmanuel Klee’s 56 gross and Mohamed Hamid 57 gross.
In Boys 7 years, the tiny Jamari Charlie Gwaro won with 56 gross, one shot ahead of Jorueb Kaguru 57 gross and Muraguri Kaito Kiragu 66 gross, while in Boys 6 & Under, Eihab Bat-Heif’s 53 gross was the story of the day.
Mariga summed it up saying, “You saw a mother run 100 meters in this heat because her 7-year-old topped the ball? That’s love. That’s why we do this. Today a mother was caddy, psychologist, cheerleader, nurse and fan club. Without mothers, there is no junior golf in Kenya.”
As the sun set over Nyali, mothers packed clubs heavier than the children themselves, wiped sweaty faces, and drove home tired but proud, the scorecards will be filed and the hugs will be remembered longer.
The tour now heads to Diamond Leisure on November 15, expect more birdies and more mothers running.
ENDS.
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