South Africa’s Louis Da Jager in action at the Karen Country Club on Round two of the 2019 Magical Kenya Golf Championship.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

South Africa’s Louis de Jager played a round of 5-under par 66 during the second round of the 2019 Magical Kenya Open, to storm to the top of the leader board, with a total score of 12-under par.

Louis, who started the round sharing the lead with England’s Jack Singh Brar on 7-under par, wasted no time in making his intentions clear. Starting from the 10th tee, the South African started his round with back to back birdies, on the par-4, tenth and par-5, eleventh, following these up with further birdies on the thirteenth and eighteenth to finish his first nine without dropping a shot for a half way score of 4-under par, 32.

His next nine holes offered a stiffer challenge, as he dropped a couple of shots at the par-3, second and par-4, fifth. He would however recover well with a birdies on the third, sixth and ninth holes for a round score of 5-under par and a total score of 12-under par after the two rounds played. Four strokes ahead of Jack Singh Brar and Spain’s Adri Arnaus who are tied for second slot.

Jack lost his grip on top spot after playing a round of one-under par, 70 following two bogeys and three birdies, with Arnaus shooting a round of 3-under par on the day to follow up his 5-under par score in the first round.

Speaking after his round, De Jagger was delighted with his start and mentioned that he was getting used to the feel of the course as it was very similar to the conditions in South Africa.

“I started off birdie-birdie and it got me in the right mindset for the round, I kept it going, kept it on the fairways, kept hitting the greens and made a few putts. I am getting used to the feel of the Kikuyu grass and the ball travels the same as back home in Pretoria, distance wise, so it really feels like we’re back home.” He said.

On his game plan for the coming rounds, he said, “My game plan is not too aggressive. The most important thing is hitting the fairways and hitting the greens because the greens are quite small.  If you hit the greens you’ve always got a good birdie chance.”

The CUT to play in round three and four was applied at 2 over par, 144 which saw a total of 79 golfers from the initial field of 144, progress to the next rounds. Among them, Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, France’s Romain Langasque and the 2015 Kenya Open champion, Sebastian Soderberg and the Kenyan duo of Justus Madoya and Simon Ngige.

Among the notable absentees are the 2018 Kenya Open winner Lorenzo Gagli, who played a round of 1-over par to take his total score to 3-over par. Others are Korean internet sensation Hu Sung Choi and Kenya’s Dismas Indiza and Greg Snow.

Round three action tees off at 7:10 AM, with Sweden’s Simon Forsstrom getting the action underway, as the players now battle it out for a stake of the 1.1 Million Euros (Kshs. 126 Million) prize kitty.

Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resorts Justus Madoya follows the flight of his shot on Round Two of the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship at the Karen Country Club. He is one of the two Kenyans who made.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Thika Golf Club’s Simon Ngige and Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort’s Justus Madoya impressed on the second round of the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship to post 2-under par 140 and level-par 142 scores for the two rounds respectively; making them the only Kenyans who made the Cut for the remainder of the tournament.

Ngige, who started his round at the 10^th tee in the morning, carded a total of 37 on the back nine courtesy of three bogeys at the par-5, 12^th, the par-3, 14^th and the par-4, 15^th holes; and a couple of birdies at the par-5, 11^th and the par-3, 16^th holes. On the first nine, he carded a total of 35 thanks to a couple of bogeys at the par-4, first and the par-4, seventh; and a couple of birdies at the par-5, sixth and the par-4, ninth for a round of 1-over par 72.

Ngige, who is making his 13^th Kenya Open Golf Championship appearance, has only made the cut at the tournament twice, in 2016 and 2017, where he went on to finish 46^th and 34^th winning Euros 1,012 and Euros 1,496 respectively.

On his part, Madoya continued with his steady run at the tournament, matching yesterday’s round of 71, leaving him tied in 39^th place and firmly within the cut.

Starting at the 10^th tee in the morning, he holed a solo birdie at the par-4,13^th but picked a double bogey at the par-4, 15^th and a bogey at the par-3, 16^th to card a back nine total of 38. On the first nine, he dropped a lone shot at the par-4, third, but holed brides at the par-3, second, the par-5, Sixth and the par-4, ninth holes to card a total of 33. Madoya, who is making his sixth appearance at the Kenya Open Golf Championship, has never made the cut before at the tournament.

Meanwhile, both Greg Snow and Dismas Indiza, the top-ranking Kenyans on the 2018/19 Safari Tour Golf Series, exited the tournament with identical 3-over par 145 scores to leave them tied in 83th place; one shot off the cut line of 2-over par.

Snow started off the round steadily, holding par at the par-4, 10^th, before holing consecutive birdies at the par-5, 11^th and the par-5, 12^th. He held par on the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th holes, before hitting consecutive bogeys at the 16^th and 17^th holes to card a total of 36.

On the first nine, where he struggled with form on round one of the tournament, he carded a total of 36 courtesy of two birdies at the par-4, first and the par-4, seventh; a bogey on the par-4, third and a double-bogey on the par-5, sixth.

Snow was making his 12^th Kenya Open appearance where he has previously made the cut three times; with his best finish coming in 2014 when he finished 10^th talking home Euros 4,066.

On his part, Indiza wasted away a 2-under par 69 head start he had secured on Round One of the tournament, to return a 5-over par score on the second round to take his total for the tournament to 3-over par 145.

He had a first nine to forget, carding a total of 41 courtesy of bogeys at the first, fourth, sixth and seventh holes and a triple bogey at the third; with his solo birdie on the first nine came at the ninth hole. On the back nine, he carded a total of 35, courtesy of birdies at the 10^th, 11^th and 16^th holes. He dropped shots at the 15^th and 18^th holes.

Indiza was making an appearance at his 20^th Kenya Open Golf Championship; where he previously has made the cut nine times -with his best finish coming in 2008 when he finished 10^th taking home Euros 3,555.

Among the amateurs, Samuel Njoroge was best of the lot, finishing tied in 95^th alongside Nelson Simwa and David Wakhu.