GERMAN LAMPERT AND SOUTH AFRICAN VAN TONDER SHARE OVERNIGHT LEAD AS WAHOME, INDIZA TIE EIGHTH AT KENYA OPEN’S FIRST DAY
By DANIELLA APIYO
EIGHTEEN-year-old Mathew Wahome of Nyali Golf Club and veteran Mumias professional finished the first round of this year’s Kenya Open Golf Championships as the best placed locals at the par 72 Karen Golf and Country Club today.
The duo were tied eighth on three under par 69, however, German Moritz Lampert and South Africa’s Danie Van Tonder shared an over night lead after playing six under par 66.
Adrien Saddier and Berardo Clement of France and Swedish Sebastian Soderberg are tied third on five under par 67 going into today’s second round.
Wahome who is playing in his second Kenya Open competition after making a debut last year, started his round on the 10th tee and made two quick birdies on the par four 10th hole and par four 12th. However, he dropped shots on the easy and short par three 14th hole and the long and challenging par three 16th hole to finish the back nine on level gross 36. On the first tee, he found the right rough and a quick bogey followed, however the young man from Mombasa quickly corrected his boat and made three birdies in a row from the second to fourth holes. He followed that with a string of pars and closed the round with a birdie on the par four hole nine and an impressive score of three under par 69.
Indiza on the other hand had a bright start, sinking an albatross on the first hole, a par four, but bogeyed the long 472 yards par four hole six to finish the first nine on 35. In the second nine he sunk two birdies on par five holes 15 and 18 for a back nine score of 34.
Joint leader Lampert who turned professional in 2012 started his round with back-to-back birdies on par four first hole, par five holes two and three and par four hole eight for an impressive score of 32 in the first nine. In the second nine he picked two birdies on the par four hole 12 and on the short par three hole 14 for a score of 34.
South Africa’s Tonder who is also sharing the lead had mixed fortunes in his round, picking a single birdie in the first nine on the par four hole six for a front nine score of 35 before registering six birdies and a bogey in the back nine for a score of 31.
Top players Gerg Snow, Sullivan Muthugia and reigning golfer of the year John Karichu had a round they would wish to forget fast as they now lay bottom of the table.
Muthaiga’s Snow and Karichu of Limuru are currently on 10 over par 82, while Muthugia is on 14 over par 86.
LEADER BOARD:
T1 Mortiz Lampert (GER) -6 66
T1 Danie Van Tonder (SA) -6 66
T3 Adrien Saddier (FRA) -5 67
T3 Sebastian Soderberg (SWE) -5 67
T3 Clement Berardo (FRA) -5 67
T6 Steven Jeppesen (SWE) -6 68
T6 Jacques Blaauw (SA) -4 68
T8 Mathew Wahome (AM) (KEN) -3 69
T8 Dismas Indiza (KEN) -3 69
T8 Sam Walker (ENG) -3 69
T8 Damien Perrier (FRA) -3 69
T8 Taco Remkes (FRA) -3 69 mens nike air max 90 mens nike air max 90