Muthaiga Golf Club's Frank Matilo, returned a score of 2-under par, 69 to storm to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of action, at the par-71 Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort course.
Matilo who has blown hot and cold in the Safari tour so far, opened his round with back to back par scores on the first and second, before hitting a birdie on the par-3, third. A similar combination of par-par-birdie, through the next three holes, followed by par scores in the next three saw him hold a turning score of 2-under par,33.
He would start the challenging back nine with a birdie on the par-4 tenth, before dropping his first shot on the par-3, twelfth. From this point he played conservatively, to hold par through the rest of the holes to return a round leading score of 2-under par, 69.
Matilo said: "I played well today. I am very happy with my round, the balls stayed where I hit them and the course was in great condition. I will not change much in my game, I want to keep the ball in regulation."
Matilo finished one shot ahead of Vet Lab's Edwin Asuza, who shot a round of 1-under par, 70. Asuza held par through the first eight holes, before dropping his first shot at the par-4 ninth, for a front nine score of one over par, 36.
He would recover brilliantly with birdies on the eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth before bogeying the par-4 sixteenth and holding par through the remaining two holes for a one-under-par, 70 score.
Golf Park's David Wakhu rounded up the top three with a score of par, on what was a generally high scoring round at the plush green Great rift course. Current series leader Dismas Indiza returned a score of 2-over par, 73, with last year's series winner Greg Snow playing a round of 5-over par, 76.
The going was also tough for the home pro duo of Justus Madoya and Andrew Chelogoi who returned scores of 9-over par and 8-over par, respectively.
Royal Nairobi Golf Club's Hesbon Kutwa, Uganda's Brain Toolit and Shilen Nanji failed to make the first round CUT, which is set at 86.
Prior to the first round, PGK Captain CJ Wangai had led his team to victory ahead of the teams anchored by Richard Ainley and David Wakhu, at the Pro-Am event played yesterday at the same venue. Round two action tees off 11 am, with the field of 42 players all aiming to make the CUT to play in the third and fourth rounds.
