• The Kiambu golfer fired seven under par 206 to defend his title in the series which started with the Sigona Bowl, followed by the Windsor Classic early this month.
• He returned with a bang, rolling four birdies at the 11th, 15th, 17th and 18th, pars at the 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th and dropping a shot at the 13th for a total of 32 and a gross of -8.
On-form Michael Karanga recorded a hattrick when he retained the Muthaiga Open title, the third leg of the Kenya Amateur Golf series at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf club.
The Kiambu golfer fired seven under par 206 to defend his title in the series which started with the Sigona Bowl, followed by the Windsor Classic early this month.
Karanga said that his second round saved him after a poor show in the third and final rounds.
"Yesterday (Saturday), I had a good game. Without it, I could have lost all," said Karanga, who missed the 2023 Magical Kenya Open at the same venue.
In the third and final round of the 54-hole tournament on Sunday, Karanga had a bad start, dropping a shot in 1, 2 and 3, recovered well with a par at the fourth but bogeyed again in fifth, a par in the sixth with the best recovery in the seventh with a birdie. He parred at the eight and dropped one in the ninth for a total of four over 40 in the opening nine.
But his second nine paid off when he managed to roll in a birdie at the 10th, a par at 11th, back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th, and triple pars at the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th to conclude the third round for a victory with two over par 73.
In the second round on Saturday, Karanga fired a whooping eight under par 63 to take a -9 lead for a five-shot advantage with -133.
In Round Two, he fired a number of birdies in the opening nine at the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth.
He managed to sink pars at the first, third, sixth and eighth for a total of 31 gross.
He returned with a bang, rolling four birdies at the 11th, 15th, 17th and 18th, pars at the 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th and dropping a shot at the 13th for a total of 32 and a gross of -8.
He defeated the reigning KAGC champion John Lejirma by a shot (207).
Final round leaderboard
1. Michael karanga (Muthaiga) 70, 63, 73= 206
2. John Lejirma (Kenya Railways) 71, 67, 69= 207
3. Jay Sandhu (Royal) 69, 71, 71= 211
4. Njoroge Kibugu (Muthaiga) 75, 65, 74= 214
5. Joseph Cwinyaai (UGA) 73, 72, 71= 216
6. Neer Chandaria (Muthaiga) 72, 75, 73= 220
7. Steve Kiaro (Kiambu) 76, 73, 75= 221
8. Sammy Mulama (Golf Park) 73, 71, 77= 221
9. Dennis Maara (Limuru) 70, 73, 80= 223
10. John Gitonga (Muthaiga) 76, 72, 76= 224