After a three-way tie on Round One, South African Cara Gorlei has finally pulled through to lead the Magical Kenya Ladies Open going into Saturday’s penultimate round at Vipingo Ridge.
Gorlei closed the day with a gross total of five under par 141. Natalya Guseve is second on four-under par 142. Tied for third are four players; Ayako Uehara, Chiara Tamburlini, Shannon Tan and Alessandra Fanali (-3 143). Ellinor Sudow, Lauren Walsh, Alexandra Forsterling and Samantha Bruce complete the top 10 places tied at seventh on -2 144.
Meanwhile, all five Kenyans missed the cut after the first two rounds of the Ladies European Tour season-opener.
The five, Naomi Wafula (+13), Jacqueline Walter (+15), Kellie Gachaga (+16), Channel Wangari (+18) and Mercy Nyanchama (+24) failed to make the +5 cut and as such will not play in the last two rounds.
Walter was left to rue a bad day in the office after a good effort in the opening round on Thursday which saw her play a +2.
“I was hoping to make the cut after a plus two on Thursday. But the course played very differently. The windy situation made it difficult for me to prevail,” said Walter, a resident amateur.
The Kenyan hinted at turning turning pro soon.
Meanwhile, Northern Irishwoman Olivia Mehaffey made the cut after returning to the LET in 2023 after taking a six-month sabbatical the previous year after her father died in 2021.
With the 2024 season underway, consistency is the key for Mehaffey as she feels she is finally in a good place on and off the golf course.
Mehaffey said: “I was just trying to survive and get through playing golf and I had to put a lot of things in place to just get around the golf course. Now, I’m in a good place off the course and a good place on the course.”
