By PHILLIP ORWA
Kenya Railway Golf Club Pro Samuel Njoroge carded 2-under par 69 to take the commanding lead after round one of the opening leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing at the par-71 Thika Sports Club.
Njoroge navigated the course with composure, with his performance featuring birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 15th holes, while his only dropped shot came on the 9th as he played level par across the remaining holes.
Njoroge said: “I’m very pleased with the start. I stayed patient throughout the round and tried to keep the ball in play. The course played well, and I managed to take my chances when they came. There’s still a long way to go, so the focus now is to stay consistent and build on this momentum in the next round.”
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera sits one shot back in second place after posting 1-under par 70. The Sunshine Tour card holder recorded birdies on the 1st and 2nd holes before adding further gains on the 14th and 15th. Bogeys on the 6th, 9th and 17th holes prevented him from joining the lead.
“I started quite well today. I started with a birdie on 1 and a birdie on 2, which took me to 2-under-par. I gave myself chances and stayed competitive throughout the day. There were a few mistakes that cost me, but I’m happy to be in a strong position heading into round two. This course is challenging. I need to keep my balls in play, and I need to keep to my game’s routines. I need to practice more, hole the putts, and make some birdies,” said Nsanzuwera.
Sharing second place is Tanzanian amateur Isaka Dunia, who looked set to take control after an exciting round, staging a flawless front nine, posting birdies on the 8th and 9th to make the turn at 2-under par 33. He continued his momentum with further birdies on the 10th and 16th holes to move to 4-under par and briefly occupied the top spot on the leaderboard, but a costly finish saw him double-bogey the 17th and bogey the 18th to settle for a round of 70.
In a tie for fourth place on level par 70 are American professional Andrew Proctor and newly turned professional Michael Karanga, both within striking distance of the leaders.
Occupying sixth place on 1-over par 72 is a three-man group comprising Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel, East Africa Q-School winner Ali Wasim, and Uganda’s Abraham Ainamani.
The three-day tournament continues on Monday, with players chasing crucial early-season points, Official World Golf Ranking opportunities, and a strong start in the race for Sunshine Development Tour honours.
