South Africa’s junior golf team asserted dominance on the opening day of the 2026 All Africa Junior Golf Teams Championships, completing round one with a significant advantage at the par-72 Windsor Golf and Country Club.
The South African contingent, featuring Andries Van Der Vyver, Cilliers Craig, Dewan De Bruin, Roelof Craig, Phenyo Sebata, Lourenda Steyn and Casey Twidale, accumulated a combined score of eight under par. Van Der Vyver spearheaded their efforts with an impressive four-under 72, the day’s top performance, marked by birdies on holes three, five, six and nine.
Sebata posted a score of three under par, while De Bruin, despite finishing level, shared positive sentiments: ‘It’s my first time in Kenya and I love it here… the course is in great condition. Now I’m focused to play well in the remaining two days and just enjoy myself.’
Kenya, benefiting from home crowd support, claimed the second position with a total score of 11 over par. Sixteen-year-old Tsevi Soni emerged as their standout performer, recording level par 72 after bouncing back from an early bogey with a birdie on hole three.
‘I had a solid opening round, but it could certainly have been better. Not many errors today; I struck the ball well, putted effectively, and chipped nicely. I’m satisfied,’ Soni remarked, expressing his desire to minimize dropped shots in the upcoming rounds.
Teammates Junaid Ayaz Manji (one over par 73) and Bianca Ngechu (three over par) also contributed positively, with Ngechu acknowledging the difficulties posed by wet conditions: ‘The front nine was rainy and I faced challenges with my putting, but during the second nine, my putting improved significantly.’
Kanana Muthomi, in contrast, completed at four over par, mentioning complications due to sandy greens.
Namibia occupied the third position at 27 over, followed by Morocco (+29), Tanzania (+35), and Uganda, Zimbabwe and Côte d’Ivoire all tied at +37. Egypt found themselves at the bottom of the standings with 87 over par.
Tournament Director James Ondigo commended the standard of play: ‘We’ve observed some excellent golf today and anticipate even higher quality in the concluding two days. The competition has drawn 89 participants from 14 nations, and Kenya has represented themselves impressively thus far.’
Standings After Round One South Africa -8 Kenya +11 Namibia +27 Morocco +29 Tanzania +35 Uganda +37 Zimbabwe +37 Côte d’Ivoire +37 Botswana +52 Mauritius +54 Tunisia +62 Zambia +70 Ghana +71 Egypt +87