Shujaa Memorial Golf Tournament celebrates family, legacy and junior talent

The third edition of the Shujaa Memorial Parent-and-Child Golf Tournament brought families together at Muthaiga Golf Club on Sunday, celebrating the late Shujaa’s legacy while showcasing the growth of junior golf in Kenya.

Wagaki Gicheru and Mwathi Gicheru claimed the overall title with 57 nett, while Santiago Villamizar and Lorenzo Villamizar finished runners-up on 60 nett after a countback. Thyagarajan Harish and Shashwat Harish also returned 60 nett to finish third.

In the guest category, Jane Gacheri and George Ikirima won with 66 net on countback. Jay Sandhu and Shane Sandhu triumphed in the nine-hole category with 32 gross, while Richmond Gatu and Mureithi Gatu won the Nearest-to-the-Pin contest.

Beyond the competition, the tournament honored Shujaa, who died prematurely from cardiomyopathy. Born on Mashujaa Day, he was named Shujaa and shared a deep connection with Muthaiga Golf Club, where he recorded a memorable hole-in-one on the fifth hole.

His father, Kariuki Kavore, said the tournament was established as a way for the family to cope with their loss and celebrate the passion for golf they shared with Shujaa.

“The idea of this tournament is a painful one, as it came from the loss of my son Shujaa. One of the ways we decided to cope with the grief is to have this tournament as a way of remembering him since we always played golf with him every Sunday,” Kavore said.

He added that watching young golfers develop and represent Kenya internationally had been particularly rewarding for the family.

Shujaa’s memory is also preserved through a tree planted in his honor at the club. The family further commemorated the occasion by donating 200 indigenous tree seedlings to Muthaiga Golf Club, extending the environmental tribute.

The event also highlighted the growing accessibility of golf through the Junior Golf Foundation, which enables registered children to play at courses across the country for an annual membership fee of Sh1,000.

Adam Nesbitt, a friend of Shujaa and son of veteran club member Nick Nesbitt, praised the foundation for expanding opportunities for young players.

“The Junior Golf Foundation is doing a fantastic job. The program is getting bigger. We started with about 50-60 kids, but we are now over 100 kids, which is also increasing competitiveness. Everyone is getting better, and this is great,” Nesbitt said.

He recalled witnessing Shujaa’s hole-in-one and said the tournament held special emotional significance because Shujaa died on his birthday.

Shujaa’s sister, Princess, also played alongside their father throughout the afternoon, providing a poignant reminder of the family bonds at the heart of the event.