Okello leads local charges as going gets tough for Kenyans

PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO Kenya’s Greg Snow follows the flight of his tee shot from the first tee on during this year’s Barclays Kenya Open Golf Championship at Karen Golf and Country Club on March 6, 2014.

What you need to know:

  • Muthugia, on 77, finishes morning session a shot better than the only junior in the tournament Nduva. Two others - Thethy and Giddie - have a major task in today’s round
  • Finishing on 77 was Sullivan Muthugia who was just a shot better than the only junior in the tournament Daniel Nduva.

While a big number of the visiting players playing in the morning returned under pars, it was not the case for most of the locals who were in the morning draw in the opening round of the 2014 Barclays Kenya Golf Championship at the par 72 Karen Country Club course.

The best score from the eight players from the morning draw was three over par 75 posted by Jacob Okello and amateur Justus Madoya. Okello, so far the most successful professional to have come closer to winning the open in 1998, made an eagle and two birdies for the day.

“I made few mistakes particularly off the tee, but I am not really complaining over anything. It is still possible to recover those few bogeys,’’ said Okello.

He said the greens as expected were very hard and difficult for one to stop the ball. Like Okello, Madoya also dropped a number of shots, although he is still in with a good chasing of recovering in the second round. Behind the two leaders were three others led by Nelson Mudanyi who was travelling well until he picked up a double-bogey at the par three-seventh after over shooting the greens.

MISCALCULATED DISTANCE

“I miscalculated the distance, by picking up a bigger club, but chipped poorly also, then dropped a shot at the 10th from the fairway,’’ said Mudanyi who however hit 15 pars altogether for the day to tie on four over par 76 along with veteran John  Kiondo, and never-say-die David Opati.

Finishing on 77 was Sullivan Muthugia who was just a shot better than the only junior in the tournament Daniel Nduva. Two others - Hardeep Thethy and Ganeev Giddie - have however a major task in today’s round. Thethy shot eight over par 80 and he will need something like eight under par in today’s second round to recover. Giddie, on the other hand, shot 12 over par 84, an almost impossible score to recover even by experienced players.

Kopan Timbe was, however, three under par after 12 holes while Greg Snow was two under also after a similar number of holes.

Richard Ainley who was the last to tee  off was one under par after the first  six holes. Dismas Indiza, Njuguna Ngugi and Stefan Andersen - were level par with six holes to play.