Kenyan pros feature in Lion of Africa Cape Town Open

Nelson Mudanyi tees off from the first tee during a past tournament. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • The first round of the 1.5m rand event, one of the premier events in the Sunshine Tour started Thursday morning where the first Kenyan pro Stefan Andersen teed-of at 8am on the 10th tee of the Championship course while Nelson Mudanyi was listed to play from 13.05 from the first tee.
  • The second leg will take place at Nyali Golf and Country Club Mombasa next month.

While the rest of Kenya's professional golfers were battling it out for a share of the Sh300,000 prize fund in the first leg of the seven-events Rapid Golf Tour at Windsor on Wednesday, South Africa-based Kenyan pros were getting ready to tackle the Royal Cape Town Golf Club course in this year's Lion of Africa Cape Town Open.

The first round of the 1.5m rand event, one of the premier events in the Sunshine Tour started Thursday morning where the first Kenyan pro Stefan Andersen teed-of at 8am on the 10th tee of the Championship course while Nelson Mudanyi was listed to play from 13.05 from the first tee.

This is the first time the two Kenyan pros, who have been featuring in the Sunshine Tour series, have been entered in a major event directly without a pre-qualifying event, which for this tournament was played on Monday.

If they make the second-round cut on Friday, they will have a chance of getting direct invitation to the other events, which also form the "Summer Swing'' in the Tour.

Back at home, Royal Nairobi's Eric Ooko lost an early lead in the Rapid Tour following his eight over par 80 for 149, which saw him drop from the top to seventh place after two rounds, leaving home pro Riz Charania to take a two-shot lead with 142 after levelling the par 72 course in the second round.

The second leg will take place at Nyali Golf and Country Club Mombasa next month.