Sweet victory as Royal golfer reclaims title

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It was sweet redemption for Collins Too missing the cut during the Kenya Swing strokeplay cut at his home course, the Royal Nairobi Golf Club, on Friday, but went on to claim the Detour Matchplay platinum championship at par-73 Ruiru Sports Club on Saturday.

Too delivered a masterclass performance to wind up at 1-under gross to be crowned the Platinum champ of the 13th edition, to become a two-time winner, capping off an intense season of knockouts. Having participated in all the editions and won the title during the 11th edition.

He edged out stiff competition in a hard-fought final against Jabez Ojowa, the defending champion, who settled for the Platinum second-place finish.

Too's road to victory was anything but smooth; having entered the competition late in the day due to prior commitments and narrowly scraping through his opening round, he pulled off a dramatic semifinal comeback against Harrison Kariuki during their match staged at the Sigona Golf Club layout.

"It has been tough all the way, especially coming into the tournament late," To reflected after his win. "From winning all my games in the three-way opener to pulling off a nail-biting semifinal at Sigona, where I was down the whole game and only went one-up on the final hole, it was one of the hardest match plays I've ever played. But every moment made the victory that much rewarding."

Facing Ojowa in the grand finale, Too brought his elite form to the greens when the stakes were highest. "Winning the 13th edition of Detour has been a fantastic and fun experience,"Too added. "My opponent gave it his absolute best, but I was able to capitalize and bring my game when it mattered most. Detour is all about expanding networks and sharing great times on the course, and I'm always truly proud to be part of it.

Behind Too and Ojowa, Harrisson Kariuki claimed third place in the Platinum division, with Francis Muthiani rounding out the top four.

In the Gold division, David Mberiah delivered a clinical performance to bag the top title, holding off Chris Kanyiri, who finished as the gold runner-up. Mukesh Bector secured third, while Chris Kilongosi took fourth place.

The gross title was won by Emmanuel Kimani playing off a handicap of 2, navigating the challenging course with precision to post an impressive 74 Gross.

In the men's subsidiary medal round, John Nyaga playing off a handicap of 19 produced a superb 66 nett to take the top honors, edging out George Wachira and Job Karanja on countback after they matched his score. Fredrick Kinge, playing off a handicap of 19, picked fourth place with a solid 67 nett.

There were fireworks in the ladies' category as Lydia Nyambeki clinched victory with a brilliant 67 nett, finishing just ahead of single-digit Jane Muthoni, playing off a handicap of 3, who posted a 68 nett. Handicap 18, Lucy Wangarui secured third place with a 69 nett.

Individual nine-hole honors were captured by Amani Kiarie, playing off a handicap of 21, who blazed the front nine to win the First Nine title with 32 nett, while Joseph Ndome, playing off a handicap of 19, fired an incredible 29 nett to claim the Second Nine title.

Joseph Waruru recorded the lowest nett score of the day, posting a remarkable 64 nett to take the Subsidiary men's trophy. Monicah Mwai, playing off a handicap of 40, captured the Subsidiary ladies' title with a score of 72 nett.

Beyond the trophies and scoreboard, the championship highlighted the rapid growth and camaraderie driving the Detour golfing virtual community.

"Detour began as a simple idea, but it quickly took on a life of its own," said James Kusewa, Chairman of the Detour Golf community. "By bringing golfers together through competition and community, we've created a space where over a thousand players don't just improve their game - they connect, build friendships, and grow together."