•The trio shot four-under-par 69 to take the lead in the season-opening Ladies European Tour (LET) event.
•Resident golfer Jaquellin Walter was the top-placed Kenyan golfer in T39 after she birdied holes 8 and 16 to close her day on two over par 75.
Image: HANDOUT
England’s Eleanor Givens, South African Cara Gorlei and Lauren Walsh of Ireland are jointly in the lead after Day One of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open at the Par 73 Vipingo Ridge course.
The trio shot four-under-par 69 to take the lead in the season-opening Ladies European Tour (LET) event.
Resident golfer Jaquellin Walter was the top-placed Kenyan golfer in T39 after she birdied holes 8 and 16 to close her day on two over par 75.
Walter’s campaign was nevertheless affected by a double bogey she picked on hole six. The rest of Kenyans struggled through the opening day of the Ladies European Tour.
Naomi Wafula, who is the most experienced among the five-member Kenyan outfit, started her campaign on a seven-over par 80 which wasn’t quite good going into Friday’s round. She is lying jointly 100th and she is the second-best-placed Kenyan.
Amateur Kellie Wahito Gachaga could only manage to shoot 8 over par 81 while compatriot and youngest of the five Chanelle Wangari (17) shot a disappointing 9 over 82.
It was a bad day in the office for Mercy Nyanchama, who posted 20 over par93 which makes it almost impossible for her to make the cut going into the weekend.
It’s also a tall order for the rest of the Kenyans as they’ll be compelled to play very low scores to make the cut in Friday’s round.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old German Alexandra Försterling is taking a relaxed approach to the 2024 season after Day One of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
She said: “I have never really thought about putting pressure on myself,” said the two-time LET winner.
“I feel like I enjoyed it so much and that’s why I want to have it again because it’s such a nice feeling to win on Tour. I wouldn’t call it pressure, it’s just more that you want it so badly. I’m just trying to get into it and stay relaxed.”
This year’s MKLO is being beamed live globally across 100 countries to 350 million homes.
The live-action is being broadcast across eleven territories including Europe, America, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.