Madoya in three-shot lead at Sigona course

Great Rift Valley Resort-based Justus Madoya hit a string of birdies at the par 72 Sigona Golf Club course, to take a three shots lead in the second leg of the “Road to Karen’’ pro golf series on Monday.

Madoya, who also doubles as a pastor, appeared to have been in a great mood for birdies as he fired in four of them in a row in the first four holes of the round.

He tumbled at the eighth, where he picked his only bogey of the outward nine, but quickly went back to four under after winding the nine with a birdie at the par five-ninth hole.

He embarked on the home nine with a birdie at the uphill par five-10th, and added one more at the 15th to go six under until he dropped one at the 17th to sign for a five-under 67 for the day.

He will definitely be on the money list if he can maintain that pace in the remaining two rounds of the event being supported by the Kenya Open Golf Limited with a Sh250,000 purse.

“ I have been working very hard on my game in order to post good scores as I would like to play in the Karen Masters in July, after missing the Kenya Open," said Madoya, who starts the second round with a three shots advantage over Jacob Okello and first leg winner Erick Ooko, who both shot two under par 70 each.

“The course is a bit wet but very nice for good scoring if one stays clear of the rough," added Madoya.

Of the two players behind him, Ooko birdied the fifth and ninth at the front nine, at the 15th at the back nine, where he also bogeyed the 208-yard-par three-14th.

Okello on the other hand, made a strong chase for the top spot with a total of three birdies though a bogey at the par-four-eighth denied him a chance to catch up with Madoya at the top.

Royal Nairobi’s Kenneth Bollo led a group of three on level par 72 for the day. He made his with two birdies and two bogeys, while the other two, Nelson Simwa and Coast-based Njuguna Ngugi hit five and four birdies.

Simwa started off well, picking up three birdies at the front nine having dropped a shot at the very first hole and a double at the seventh.

He added two more birdies at the back nine, which was however marred by bogeys. Ngugi made his birdies at the second and fourth, and at the 11th and 15th but with bogeys at the seventh and eighth , 12th and at the home green.

The second round is set for 8.30am on Tuesday which will be followed by the third round on Wednesday.

The first round leader board;

Justus Madoya 67

Erick Ooko 70

Jacob Okello 70

Kenneth Bollo 72

Nelson Simwa 72

Njuguna Ngugi 72

Riz Charania 73

Tony Omulli 73

Dismas Indiza 74

Hesbon Kutwa 74

Alfred Nandwa 74

John Wangai 74

Simon Ngige 74