Owiti takes lead in Nyali Open

Vet Lab Sports Club’s Robinson Owiti Saturday grabbed a one-shot lead going into Sunday’s third and final round of the 2018 Nyali Open golf tournament at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country club course.

The off-scratch Owiti carded one over par 72 in the afternoon’s second round, to bring his score to 147, just one better than Kenya Railway’s Samuel Njoroge and his club-mate Mike Kisia.

Owiti started the afternoon round with two back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes.

But he followed that with two bogeys on the third and fourth, stayed on course up to the ninth where he three-putted to finish the front nine with one over par.

At the back nine, Owiti dropped two shots but made two birdies, to level the nine. “The greens are just the same as at Vet Lab so I had no problem in putting save for the heat which was too much, but will try and play under the final round. I believe I have a good chance of winning this event,’’ said Owiti.

Meanwhile, Njoroge - who is the Kenya Amateur Stroke play champion - fired two over par 73 for a two rounds total of 148 to tie with Mike Kisia who posted five over par 76 having fired one over par 72 in the morning.

Njoroge picked up two birdies in the second round, both in the first nine though dropped four shots. Reuben Njoroge and home player Henry Kamau were next on 149. Njoroge carded 72 and Kamau 73.

Windsor’s 15-year-old Taimur Malik produced so far the best round of level par 71 to move to the leaderboard on 151 having posted 80 in the morning. Uganda’s Joseph Chinywaai, who had led in the morning, dropped to seventh on 151 after a 79 in the second.

Teeing off for Sunday’s final round is set for 7am with the prize giving ceremony to take place at 3pm.