Wakhu takes early lead in Barclays Kenya Open qualifiers

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s David Wakhu follows the progress of his tee from the 13th tee during the Rapid Golf Challenge on August 27, 2014 at Muthaiga Golf Club. Wakhu took a narrow one shot lead in day two of the Barclays Kenya Open pre-qualifying tournament at the par 72 Karen Country Club course on Tuesday. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

By  Larry Ngala

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • David Wakhu took a narrow one shot lead in day two of the Barclays Kenya Open pre-qualifying tournament.
  • Closing the day a shot behind Wakhu was Railway’s Njuguna Ngugi who fired a level par 72 for 142.
  • Windsor based David Opati was next in third place with one under par 71 for 143.
  • A total of 31 pros turned up for the third leg of the three-event pre-qualifying series where the top 12 players - in the Order of Merit of the three events - will book a place in the Kenya Open where they will join 10 others who qualified from the KCB Golf Tour 2015 and last year’s Open.

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s David Wakhu took a narrow one shot lead in day two of the Barclays Kenya Open pre-qualifying tournament at the par 72 Karen Country Club course on Tuesday.

David Wakhu took a narrow one shot lead in day two of the Barclays Kenya Open pre-qualifying tournament

However the birdie hungry Wakhu picked one at the 10th and two back to back from the 14th and was headed for a clear three under until he dropped a shot at the par three-16th for the day’s two under par 70 and a two rounds total of three under par 141.

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Closing the day a shot behind Wakhu was Railway’s Njuguna Ngugi who fired a level par 72 for 142.

Ngugi, bogeyed the fourth and ninth at the front nine but played a bogey-free back nine that included two birdies over the 11th and 14th.

Windsor based David Opati was next in third place with one under par 71 for 143.

Also chasing a place in the 2016 Open was Jacob Okello who shot level par 72 for 145 with first leg winner John Wangai also on level par 72 completing the top five on 146.

ORDER OF MERIT

A total of 31 pros turned up for the third leg of the three-event pre-qualifying series where the top 12 players - in the Order of Merit of the three events - will book a place in the Kenya Open where they will join 10 others who qualified from the KCB Golf Tour 2015 and last year’s Open.

Meanwhile at Sigona Golf, a three-way count-back saw Dipak Halai beat both Eddy Kimemia and veteran Jimmy Merali, to clinch the overall prize during the Sobhag Insurance/Petro city golf tournament held over the weekend.

Halai only needed five pars for his combination of 18 and 21 while Kimemia who birdied the ninth, 11th and 14th, carded 19 and 20 to also finish with 39 points.

He settled for the second prize while Merali finished in third place.

Nitin Shah on 38 was fourth while leading the guests in the event which attracted a field of 180 players was Dipak Patel on 32 points.

Arnav Hindocha emerged the best junior golfer with 36 points and the nines went to Dave Mwangi on 22 and Ketul Tanna who also posted 22 points.

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