Madoya takes early lead in Diani Beach Masters
Justus Madoya follows his chip from 18th hole fairway during Road to Karen Masters Golf tournament for Professionals at Sigona Golf Club on May 29, 2018. He finished second at this year's Rwanda Open. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
Madoya parred all the way up to the stroke index one- par four-sixth where he three-putted, to cross to the back on one over par. At the back nine, Madoya birdied the 16th and 18th for one-under par 71
Snow, who finished second to long-hitting Dismas Indiza in the Uganda Open at Entebbe last week, dropped a shot at the par five-second hole, but parred the rest of the front nine holes while at the back nine Snow birdied the 16th and 18th after dropping a shot at the par three-12th
Those who failed to break 80 include Indiza who made a number of bogeys for the day, to eventually tie on 81 four others who included Tanzania’s Isaac Wanyeche, Tony Omulli, John kagiri, and Sigona’s Sujan Shah
The Great Rift Valley Golf Resort’s Justus Madoya produced the only under par score in day one of this year’s Prime Bank Diani Beach Masters at the par 72 Leisure Lodge Golf and Beach Resort club course, to take a one shot lead going into Saturday's second round of the one million shillings purse event.
Madoya parred all the way up to the stroke index one- par four-sixth where he three-putted, to cross to the back on one over par. At the back nine, Madoya birdied the 16th and 18th for one-under par 71.
“My game is solid, as I was able to hit most of the fairways, and the course is playing well save for the greens which were a bit slow and difficult to judge, I will try and do better tomorrow’’ said Madoya who finished ahead of Muthaiga's Greg Snow who fired level par 72.
Snow, who finished second to long-hitting Dismas Indiza in the Uganda Open at Entebbe last week, dropped a shot at the par five-second hole, but parred the rest of the front nine holes while at the back nine Snow birdied the 16th and 18th after dropping a shot at the par three-12th.
“Having played on a course whose greens were so fast, it is difficult to read these greens but I guess we have to play them the way they are, though generally the course is playing well if one stays on course," said Snow.
Finishing a shot behind Snow was Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Alfred Nandwa whose one-over par 73 included a double bogey at the par four-10th having bogeyed the second hole earlier in the front nine. It was a tough day for majority of the players as only 16 out of the field of 39 pros, managed to break 80.
Those who failed to break 80 include Indiza who made a number of bogeys for the day, to eventually tie on 81 four others who included Tanzania’s Isaac Wanyeche, Tony Omulli, John kagiri, and Sigona’s Sujan Shah.
“I have not such a bad day like this for a long time. It was one of those days that nothing seemed to work for me’’ said Indiza who made a number of double-bogeys.
The pros will Saturday be joined by a big field of over 130 amateurs drawn from various parts of the country. The pros will be teeing off first from 7am followed by the amateurs some of whom were on the course practising for their first round.
This year besides the main sponsors Prime Bank, the Diani Beach Masters which was started in 1998, has attracted others corporate sponsors such as SKF, Base Titanium, Diani Hardware and General Stores, Toyota, Crown Paints, Nature’s Cool, Diani Sea Resort, Multiple Hauliers, Diani Beach Hospital, AAR Healthcare, Heritage Insurance, among many others.
