Madoya, Ooko command leaderboard

Local golfer Justus Madoya training at Golf Park Ngong Racecourse last year. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Uganda Open champion Justus Madoya joined Golf Park’s Erick Ooko at the top of the leader board going into today’s final round of the 2022 Safari Tour Limuru leg at the par 72 Limuru Country Club.

Madoya, from the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha, shot one under par 71 to tie with Ooko on two under par 214.

“Today was one of those days, I could not just get my putts in, and it really costed what would have been a turning point for me in this event,” said Madoya.

“And my worse hole was the 18th where I made three putts despite having shot a good approach shot.”

Despite the challenge, Madoya insisted he is capable of winning the event with a respectable aggregate.

The day was even worse for Ooko who started off with a bogey at the par four-first, dropped two more at the fifth and seventh and recovered only one shot at the ninth where he made his first birdie of the day. 

Ooko then picked up three birdies at the back nine which however included a bogey at the 13th that resulted in the day’s level par 72 to close the day on two under 214 and share the lead with Madoya.

The man to watch besides the two leaders, is Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi who closed the day on level par 216 and just two shots adrift, after firing an impressive three under par 69 in the third round.