Kibugu forces a top tie with day one leader Nduva

Kenya's Njoroge Kibugu in past action at Muthaiga Golf Club. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

A change of wind was witnessed as Muthaiga’s Njoroge Kibugu came from behind to force a tie with day leader Daniel Nduva of Nyali in the ongoing Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Equator Tour golf tournament at the par 73 Ruiru Sports Club course on Friday.

Kibugu, who was sitting tied fourth with Junaid Manji on a 4-under-par 69 gross on the first day, came blazing in the second round, forcing a tie with day one leader Daniel Nduva on 11-under-par 135 gross each to share the top spot of day two.

“So far things are going on well because my rivals have shown that I need to work harder with precision to succeed in the very challenging tournament,” said Nduva.

Njoroge said, “This tournament has been good, we thank the organisers, and we are now here to display our talents.”

The four-day, 72-hole ’stroke play tour is the first PGK Tour at Ruiru that ends today, featuring more than fifty of Kenya’s professional golfers across the country.

David Wakhu finished second on a total of 9 under par 137 gross while Eric Ooko and John Karichu shared the third spot after each recorded a score of 8 under par 138 gross.

The tournament is among the 11-month legs that will traverse twelve courses across the country before culminating in a grand finale scheduled February 5-8, 2026 at Muthaiga Sports Club.

The tour marks a significant milestone in the development of professional golf in Kenya, providing local players with a robust platform to showcase their talent and prepare for international competition. Four professional golfers have benefited from a three-year Sh3 million support deal from telco giant Safaricom in a programme aimed to equip emerging professional golfers with the skills, discipline, and exposure needed to thrive in competitive golf.

The four, namely Mohit Mediratta (Sigona), Mathew Wahome (Nyali), Samuel Njoroge (Kenya Railways), and Njoroge Kibugu (Muthaiga), form Safaricom’s Corporate Team, participating in both the Equator Tour events and other PGK-sanctioned tournaments this season.