Golf Park-based Erick Ooko and Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge tied two under par on day one of the “Road to Magical Kenya Open’’ Limuru at the par 72 Limuru Country Club course on Sunday.
Ooko, one of the leading professionals in the country, dropped an early shot at the par-four second hole and the par-three fifth whose pin position denied many players birdie opportunities but managed to level the nine after birdies over the par five-third and the short par four-ninth.
He then played a steady bogey-free back nine which included two birdies at the 14th and 18th.
“I was destined for a clear five under or better save for the two shots I dropped at the opening nine. The pin positions, particularly at the fifth and 12th, were definitely illegal pin positions and it is really discouraging when you are playing well and then drop some shots because of such bad pin positions’’ Ooko said.
Njoroge, on the other hand, dropped a shot at the fourth but made birdies over the first, ninth, and 13th to take an early lead before he was joined by Ooko at the top on the close of the day.
The two leaders were just a shot better than Uganda Open champion Justus Madoya, and Windsor’s Riz Charania.
Madoya, who said he has been shooting under par since he returned from Entebbe, Uganda, bogeyed two holes at the front nine against a similar number of birdies over the sixth and ninth and two more birdies at the 14th and 18th with a bogey at the 15th denying him a clean back nine.
“My approach shots just like during the Uganda Open have been my strongest in my game and despite dropping some shorts, it is still possible to shoot 12 or so under par which will give me a big boost as I prepare for the Magical Kenya Open’’ the Great Rift Golf Resort golfer said.
A total of 73 players had turned up at Limuru though 10 players went out in the first round, five of them having shot over 85 while two others — David Odhiambo and Boniface Koskei —were disqualified for playing wrong balls.
Three others withdrew for various reasons.
Finishing closely behind the leaders were Greg Snow and Edwin Mudanyi who finished on level par 72 while four others, led by South Africa-based Daniel Nduva, were on one over par 73.
The second round gets underway at 7.30 am on Monday.
Leaderboard
Samuel Njoroge 70
Erick Ooko 70
Justus Madoya 71
Riz Charania 71
Edwin Mudanyi 72
Greg Snow 72
Daniel Nduva 73
Robinson Owiti 73
Mutahi Kibugu 73
John Kariuki(A) 73
