Erick Ooko leads at Safari Tour Limuru golf

Golf Park’s Erick Ooko remained at the top of the leader board this time on his own after levelling the par 72 Limuru Country Club course on day two of the Safari Tour Limuru leg on Monday. 

The field comprised of 63 professional players after 10 players were eliminated during Sunday’s round one of the Safari Tour golf series at Limuru Country Club. 

Ooko levelled the par 72 Limuru Country Club course event that saw Ugandan open champion Justus Madoya take second place. 

Ooko blamed a few bad birdies particularly at the back nine, however, said he is still looking forward to some better scores in the last two rounds. 

“My iron game is excellent except I could not get some of my putts in which cost me some birdies and a better finish,’’ said Ooko. 

He however managed to cross to the back nine on two under after a birdie at the par five-third and at the ninth. 

The back nine was not however his best as he dropped shots over the 11th and 13th for two over par and his level par 72 which left him at the top on two under par 142. 

Madoya dropped a shot at the fifth after picking up a birdie at the third. He was however able to level the back nine despite the double at the 13th, after rolling in two birdies at the 15th and 18th. 

He however blamed poor putting for not getting onto the top of the leaderboard. 

“I had four good chances for birdies but did not make use of them though it is the double at the 13th which made it even worse. But that aside, I am still within a reach of my 12 under par projection, with two more rounds to go,’’ said Madoya. 

The Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge who had shared the first-round lead with Ooko dropped to joint third with Vet Lab’s Mike Kisia and Edwin Mudanyi. Njoroge shot three-over-par 75 for one over par 145 while Mudanyi posted one over par 73. 

Kisia on the other shot so far the best round in the tournament, a four-under-par 68, a score which included four birdies, and an eagle at the home green (18th) before dropping two shots at the front nine. 

With his first debut to the top, Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi shot one-under-par 71 to move to seventh place on three over par 147. 

A total of 26 players made the eight over par 152 cut and will now be chasing the top prize of Sh300,000. 

Those making the cut included two amateurs John Kariuki of Limuru and a junior player Njoroge Kibugu of Muthaiga who shot five-over-par 77, one better than Kariuki who had started with a 73.

The Leader board:

Erick Ooko 70, 72= 142

Justus Madoya 71, 72=143

Mike Kisia 77, 68= 145

Edwin Mudanyi 72, 73= 145

Samuel Njoroge 70, 75= 145

Greg Snow 72, 74= 146

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 76, 71= 147

Mutahi Kibugu 73, 74=147

Rizwan Charania 71, 76=147?