Record 9 Kenyans make the cut at Karen Masters
Simon Njogu follows the progress of his tee shot from the 18th tee during the KCB Karen Masters at Karen Golf and Country Club on June 28, 2019. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- This is the highest number of Kenyan players to make the cut in the Masters and even the Kenya Open.
A record nine Kenyan players including one amateur made the second round cut as Portuguese star Stephen Ferreira maintained his lead after an impressive six under par 66, half way through the 2019 KCB Karen Masters at the par 72 Karen Country Club course.
Leading the locals into the money list was Golf Park's David Wakhu, who shot two under par for a two rounds total of five under par 139, tying for 13th place as his colleague Greg Snow slipped back to 23rd same with club-mate Jeff Kubwa on three under par 141.
Snow, dropped five shots against three birdies for two over par 74 for the day as Kubwa - who picked up two at the par four-sixth after a birdie at the first hole and another birdie at the 15th - missed a great chance of a leader board position after picking a bogey at the 18th in addition to a double at the 10th for one under par 71.
Wakhu was firing until he dropped two shots at the par five-12th, after trying to cut through the right near the water dam en-route to the green.
The double bogey there saw him drop from seven under to five which he however maintained up to the end by playing safe. He has a great chance of climbing further up the leaderboard depending on how he fares in Saturday's third round where a total of 65 players will be battling it out for the title.
Other locals who made cut were Simon Ngige on two under par, Dismas Indiza who shot one over par 73, Justus Madoya, Riz Charania, John Wangai and amateur Simon Njogu of the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort, who fired two under par 70, having started with two over par 74 in the first round.
RECORD
This is the highest number of Kenyan players to make the cut in the Masters and even the Kenya Open.
Back at the top, Ferreira started the day by firing in three birdies in the first three holes, dropped a shot at the start of the back nine, but rolled in three more birdies at the 11th, 12th, and 13th.
He closed the day with one more birdie at the 17th to take his total scores to 16 under par 128 with South Africa's Toto Thimba moving to second place just three shots off the leader after brilliant nine under par 63, one shot worse than Ferreira's first round score of 62.
His round gave him a total of 13 under par 131 included 10 birdies, six of them in the front nine and four at the back nine where he dropped the only shot of the day a the 14th.
"I am so happy with a 66 today though it was a shaky start, though I managed to pick up myself and made some great shots and good finishing on the green. I will continue with my game plan in the remaining two rounds though I will definitely mind those behind me,'' said Ferreira, who will be in the company of South Africa's Toto Thimba in the third round.
Meanwhile, South Africa's JC Ritchie made his intention known after firing eight under par 64 which left him in third place on 11 under par 133, just a shot away from another South African Garrick Higgo on 134 after posting his second 67 in the tournament, a round that included six birdies and two bogeys.
Ritchie had played a bogey-free round that was made up of eight birdies, five of them coming in the closing nine. The field of 65 players will be off at 7.40am in the third round.
The leaderboard:
128 Stephen Ferreira (POR) 62, 66
131 Toto Thimba (SA) 68, 63
133 JC Ritchie (SA) 69, 64
134 Garrick Higgo (SA) 67, 67
136 CJ du Plessis (SA) 69, 67
136 Chris Cannon (ENG) 69, 67
136 Michael Palmer (SA) 69, 67 *
137 Jacques P. de Villiers(SA) 68, 69
