Ugandan junior golfer Shaka Kariisa produced a composed round of one under par 71 to win the BSI Medal 18 Holes tournament held on Friday, March 6 at the East Course of Royal Johannesburg Golf Club in South Africa.
The event, organised by the Balderstone Sports Institute, is part of the academy’s weekly medal series designed to expose student athletes to constant competitive pressure as they prepare for professional golf or potential college scholarships.
Kariisa’s victory also continues a family connection to the sport. The young golfer is following in the footsteps of his father, Next Media CEO Kin Kariisa, a well known golfer himself in Uganda.
Playing on the demanding East Course, a par 72 layout that features a tree lined parkland design and a slope rating of around 142, Kariisa managed the challenging conditions well to finish ahead of a competitive field.
He opened his round with a steady front nine of 36 before closing with a 35 on the back nine to seal the win. His scorecard included four birdies on holes three, six, eight and nine, balanced by three bogeys on holes four, 13 and 17.
Connor Olfsen and Thomo Mokgatle finished tied for second on four over par 76, while Kayle Turner, Timothy Sello and Mowana Chokwe shared fourth place after posting rounds of 78.
Statistically, Kariisa delivered a solid performance across the board. He hit nine drives in play, reached 14 greens in regulation and required 30 putts for the round while successfully scrambling twice to save par.
Speaking after the round, Kariisa said he had to stay patient early in the day as rain made conditions difficult.
“For sure, it was quite tough in the beginning. It started pouring down on us, but I was just happy making pars, hitting greens,” he said. “Not a lot of them dropped, but I’m happy to come back with one under.”
Kariisa will now turn his focus to his next international assignment at the All Africa Junior Golf Championship in Kenya later this month.
The weekly medal events at BSI are played in stroke play format, meaning every shot counts toward the final score.
Players start simultaneously from the first and tenth tees to accommodate a large field, with performances tracked through advanced radar technology provided by FlightScope to build detailed statistical profiles for each athlete.
Results from these medals contribute points toward the institute’s season long Order of Merit standings, a key benchmark used by international scouts and college recruiters assessing emerging talent.
