Ooko seizes lead at Sigona course

Royal Nairobi’s Erick Ooko went up by one shot at the close of round two in the ongoing “Road to Karen Masters” second leg qualifying series at the par 72 Sigona Golf course on Tuesday.

Ooko, who won the first leg at Vet Lab two weeks ago, fired a back-to-back two under par 70 for a two rounds total of four under par 140, and a shot better than round one leader Justus Madoya, who shot two over par 74 for three under par 141.

Ooko made birdies over the third and fourth holes at the front nine, where he also double-bogeyed the seventh.

He later birdied the 11th but three putted the 18th. It was not an exciting day for the Great Rift Valley Resort-based Madoya, who bogeyed the first, second, and ninth, having made only one birdie at the fourth.

Madoya however managed to make two more birdies at the 13th and 15th, though he threw that away after picking up a double bogey at the 16th.

Finishing just a shot behind Madoya were Jacob Okello and home pro John Wangai. Okello birdied the fourth and ninth, but dropped an equally number of holes both on the first nine for a level par 72 and a two rounds aggregate of 142 same as Wangai, who had the best round in the second, a four under par 68.

Wangai fired four under par in the opening nine, where he picked up birdies on the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth with a bogey at the seventh.

Although he managed three more birdies at the back nine, coming on the 15th and 17th, bogeys on the 10th, 16th and 18th ruined what would have been a great round for the day.

“The game was fine, as I was real playing well save for the two three putts at the 16th and 18th which made me drop more shots which I should not have dropped," said Wangai.

He said he was driving well except at the seventh hole where his driver was caught by the trees as he tried to go over them.

“The greens were rolling well and fairly easy to make birdies," added Wangai.

However, Kenneth Bollo, Njuguna Ngugi and Nelson Simwa, who all had levelled the course on day one, found the going tough on Tuesday as they all shot four over par 76 each for 148 to drop to joint eighth still with a chance of making a come to the top depending on how they play in the third and final round on Wednesday.

The leaderboard;

140 Erick Ooko 70, 70

141 Justus Madoya 67, 74

142 John Wangai 74, 68

142 Jacob Okello 70, 72

145 Alfred Nandwa 74, 71

147 Richard Ainley 75, 72

147 Simon Ngige 74, 73

147 Riz Charania 73, 74

148 Kenneth Bollo 72, 76

148 Nelson Simwa 72, 76

148 Njuguna Ngugi 72, 76.