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Johnson leads Namibia to fourth place at Region 5 tourney

• 16 Hours Ago

Namibian golfer Kyle Johnson was the standout performer for his national contingent, clinching third place overall at the Africa Golf Federation Region 5 Tournament on Friday.

Held at the Stanbic Bank Gaborone Golf Club in Botswana, the tournament featured three rounds of competitive play against teams from host Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho and South Africa.

Namibia finished fourth in the team standings behind South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Johnson carded a superb 4-under-par total of 209, finishing behind South Africa’s Astin Wade Arthur, who claimed victory with a 13-under-par 200 and Zimbabwe’s Keegan Shutt, who placed second on 206 (-7).



First Namibian to reach podium

Reflecting on his final round, Johnson said a dip in putting cost him a higher finish.

“My putting was not the best in round three. I made four bogeys and one birdie, [mostly due to poor putting]. If my putter was working that day, I could’ve had a shot at first or second place. Still, I’ll take third place, as the first Namibian to reach the podium. Next year I’ll make sure my putting is better,” he said.

Johnson credited teammate Henry Mudge for helping him improve his putting early in the tournament and thanked his coach, Paul McKenzie and the entire team for their support. “My golf hasn't been this good in a really long time,” he said.

Mudge finished tied for ninth on 219 ( 6) and called the event a valuable experience. “I really enjoyed the tournament and being part of a team representing our country. As golfers, we rarely play in a team format abroad,” he said.

He added that despite not playing his best, the team has a strong foundation to build on. “Overall, I think we did good as a new team, and I am proud of the boys. We have a lot of work to do,” he remarked.

Team captain Brendan Britten placed 21st with a 234 ( 21) total. “We were in sight of a podium finish until the final day. That in itself is a remarkable achievement,” he said.

“We lost composure at crucial moments, but I’m proud of how the boys performed as senior national team debutants. It was a privilege to captain this team. This is a moment I will cherish forever.”



Valuable lessons

International debutant Jackson Kawaya, who tied for 22nd on 236 ( 23), endured a difficult tournament after learning of his grandmother, Veronica Kuwomwenyo’s, passing during the second round.

“The boys and our president showed brotherhood by writing her name on their arms,” he said.

“It was tough off the tee and to putt, but I’ve learned valuable lessons about composure and adapting my strategy on the fly. I'm looking forward to building on the lessons I have learnt and striving for even greater success in the future. I now know where I need to work on my game.”

The team, led by manager and Namibia Amateur Golf Union (NAGU) president Toady Gurirab, expressed gratitude for his leadership and the opportunity to represent the country on foreign fairways.

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