THIKA, Kenya, Oct 5 – The NCBA U.S. Kids Golf Nairobi Local Tour delivered a memorable day of junior golf at Thika Sports Club on Sunday, with Ishaan Patel making history by recording the first par-four hole-in-one on the tour.
Patel holed his tee shot on the par-four 7th hole, producing a rare hole-in-one and an albatross. He followed the feat with a strong performance in the Boys 12 category, finishing runner-up after a playoff for the title.
Patel and Jerome Njuguna both carded 85 gross, with Njuguna eventually prevailing to claim the category honours.
Adam Nesbitt was another standout performer, winning the Boys 13–14 category with an impressive 71 gross, one under par.
In the Girls 8 & Under category, Zara Mutungi carded 35 (-1) to take the title, while her brother Hakeem Mutungi won the Boys 10 category with 37 (+1).
The other category winners included Victor Halland, who won Boys 6 & Under with 41; Ethan Gakuya, Boys 7 with 47; David Mugambi, Boys 8 with 38; Surya Bongu, Boys 9 with 41; Luke Oduor, Boys 11 with 76; and Tsorav Soni, Boys 15–18 with 83.
In the girls’ categories, Maria Asiyo won Girls 9–10 with 41, Leticia Mwangale took Girls 11–12 with 78, Ashley Muyela won Girls 13–14 with 77, and Shani D’Souza claimed Girls 15–18 with 97.
Speaking during the event, Nicholas Njenga, NCBA Bank Thika Branch Manager, reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting young talent and creating opportunities for juniors to develop and realise their potential.
“At NCBA, we believe in talent and in creating opportunities that enable young people to become better at what they do. Through our support for junior golf, we are proud to play a part in providing these young golfers with platforms to compete, learn and grow. We also encourage parents to invest in their children’s future, both in their talents and education, by taking advantage of the financial planning, investment and education solutions available through NCBA.”
The Thika event attracted more than 140 junior golfers across the various age categories, giving players an opportunity to compete regularly, test their skills and gain valuable tournament experience in an age-appropriate setting.
The tour now moves to Royal Nairobi Golf Club on 11 October for the penultimate event of the season, before concluding with the Tour Championship at VetLab Sports Club on 25 October.
Meanwhile, registration is open for the 4th NCBA Kenya Invitational, Kenya’s premier U.S. Kids Golf international event.
The tournament will be held from 18–22 December 2026 at Karen Country Club, with U.S. Kids Golf players from around the world invited to compete. Players holding Priority Status Level 4 have been invited to participate.
The NCBA Kenya Invitational will allow junior golfers to compete against players from different countries and experience international-level competition on home soil.
