By OUR CORRESPONDENT
The opening round of the Johnnie Walker Classic, the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, produced a tightly contested leaderboard as four golfers finished tied at the top on two-under par 70 at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
Kenya’s Rizwan Charania, Njoroge Kibugu, elite amateur John Lejirma, and Uganda’s Gaita Tadeo Rodell showcased class and composure in equal measure, setting the tone for what promises to be a thrilling battle over the next two days.
Charania produced a balanced round that featured birdies on the par-5 second, 14th, 15th, and 18th holes, offset by bogeys on the 10th and 13th, to close his day on two-under par 70.
Meanwhile, Njoroge Kibugu, currently second on the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Order of Merit, began his title charge in solid form with birdies on the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 15th holes, but dropped shots on the 9th and 18th.
Speaking after his round, Kibugu said:
“The day went well, I hit two under. A few hiccups on 9 and 18, otherwise I hit the ball well and I’m happy with my round. I liked my iron play today; it’s a lot better than in recent times. I’ve been working on that with my coach and it’s slowly coming together.”
Elite amateur John Lejirma, who has continued to impress in the Tour, put together another fine performance with birdies on the 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 16th holes, against bogeys on the 5th, 11th, and 13th, also finishing on two-under par 70.
Reflecting on his round, Lejirma said:
“I had a slow start, teeing off from the 10th. I struggled a bit with my putting at first, coming off a tournament in Nyanza where the greens were slower, it was a bit hard to adjust to these greens here at Royal. There’s always pressure playing at your home club, but for me I’ll just focus on my game plan and count on the support from the members of the club.”
Completing the joint lead was Uganda’s Gaita Tadeo Rodell, who impressed with an eagle on the 7th hole, supported by birdies on the 2nd, 8th, and 15th, despite bogeys on the 1st, 13th, and 18th holes.
Close behind, four players tied for fifth place on one-under par 71 – Mutahi Kibugu, Naom Wafula, Erick Ooko, and Grace Kasongo, each putting up a strong challenge to the title through the opening round.
Among them, Naom Wafula continued her fine form from Kigali, making birdies on 2nd, 7th, 10th, and 15th to stay within reach of the leaders. After her round, she noted:
“I am happy with my one under. It was a great fight. I was two under after the front nine but going into the back nine I had a hole which I messed up. Still, I held on to finish on one under. I started well with a birdie on the 10th after turning to take me to three under but then had a disappointing double bogey on the 11th. I didn’t give up though I managed another birdie to bring me back to two under, and even though I made a terrible tee shot on the last hole, I was able to salvage a bogey. I’ve never celebrated a bogey like that!.”
A further group of four golfers ended the day tied for ninth position on level par (72), including amateurs Sammy Mulama, Tony Omuli, Samuel Njoroge, and Dismas Indiza.
Nsanzuwera, who currently leads the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Order of Merit, mixed birdies on the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 6th holes with bogeys on the 2nd, 3rd, and 9th, to close the round at 1-over par 73 to finish thirteenth on the leaderboard.
With just two strokes separating the top 12 players, the competition remains wide open as the field prepares for Tuesday’s second round, where the top 30 and ties will advance to Wednesday’s final day.
The Johnnie Walker Classic, supported by Vivo Energy Kenya, brings together professional and elite amateur golfers from across East Africa and beyond. The tournament offers a total prize purse of Ksh. 2 million and contributes to Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
Action continues Monday, 14th October, at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club, with first tee times from 8:00 a.m.
