IJGA golfer Chanelle Mwangi, who fronted the R&E website promoting the inaugural African
Amateur, finished fourth in a very strong field. This follows her competing in the LET Magical
Kenya Ladies Open professional event a few weeks earlier, capping off a truly memorable
February 2024!
The African Amateur was played at the amazing Leopards Creek course, in the heart of the
Kruger National wildlife park, South Africa, which also plays host to the Alfred Dunhill
Championship professional DP World Event. In November 2019 IJGA alumni student Pablo
Larazabal won this professional event.
Following is an interview from ASAP Sports reveals Chanelle’s on-course mentality.
Q. What was it about your game that you enjoyed? There was some nice birdies in there. Can you talk us through some of those?
CHANELLE WANGARI MWANGI: Just switching my mentality, I think, and keeping my spirits up high. I started off — through 4, I was 2-over, so just told myself it wasn’t over yet. I was able to bring it back to level. I finished that nine level. Dropped a few shots again at the beginning, so just having a bit of a slow start. But switching my mentality and making myself aware that everything is not over until the last hole.
I think that was the main thing that kept me going today, just knowing that anything can happen, and that’s how the birdies — I went back-to-back, and then unfortunately 17 and 18 I dropped them, but either way I was proud of how my mental game was.
Q. Looking forward to tomorrow, you’re still in contention. Do you think you can win it?
CHANELLE WANGARI MWANGI: Yeah, everyone is here to win it. For me, I’m just here to enjoy myself, just do the best I can. If I win it, I win it. If I play well, I play well. Just to enjoy myself in general.
Q. What are you doing over there? Is that to help with your golf?
CHANELLE WANGARI MWANGI: Yeah, the main reason I moved or relocated is because of my golf, the International Junior Golf Academy. I’m getting a lot of help compared to before, so I’m really enjoying myself out there.
Q. What sort of things are you doing there?
CHANELLE WANGARI MWANGI: I study there, but the main thing is golf for me, so I have a schedule fitted into my day. So I have golf in the morning, then school, then golf in the afternoon. Right now I’m working on changes in my swing, so there’s bits of holes in my golf game, but other than that, it’s really nice.
