Home player Chandaria takes a one shot lead at Muthaiga Open
Neer Chandaria follows the progress of his tee shot from 18th hole tee box during the final round of Windsor Classic at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club on March 03, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Chandaria made three birdies, two at the front nine and one at the back nine, with an equal number of bogeys leaving him with level par 71 and a two rounds total of two over par 144
- Balala, on the other hand, picked up a double at the par three-second then he birdied the third and fourth, dropped one at the sixth and eighth with a birdie in between
- At the back nine, Balala birdied the 10th and appeared all set to climb to the top of the leaderboard until he bogeyed the 11th and 13th
Home player Neer Chandaria Saturday shot level par 71 in day two of this year’s Muthaiga Open golf tournament at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course, to take a one shot lead going into Sunday’s final round.
Chandaria made three birdies, two at the front nine and one at the back nine, with an equal number of bogeys leaving him with level par 71 and a two rounds total of two over par 144, to finish the day just a shot better than the long hitting Adel Balala from Vipingo Ridge.
He took off well, rolling in the day’s first birdie at the second hole, though he missed a par narrowly at the par three-third, to drop his first shot of the day.
Chandaria however, birdied the fifth hole, to go one under until at the ninth where he dropped another shot.
He dropped one more shot at the 11th, then birdies became elusive until at the 15th where he picked up, and then finished off the back nine with three straight pars.
Balala, on the other hand, picked up a double at the par three-second then he birdied the third and fourth, dropped one at the sixth and eighth with a birdie in between.
At the back nine, Balala birdied the 10th and appeared all set to climb to the top of the leaderboard until he bogeyed the 11th and 13th, parred the remaining five holes for the day’s two over par 73 and a total of three over 145.
That earned him the opportunity to play with the leader Chandaria and Kiambu golf club’s youngster Elvis Muigua who shot one over par 72 to tie for third place with Limuru’s Dennis Maara and Mombasa’s Sammy Mulama.
Maara carded four over par 75 same as Mulama for five over par 147. A total of 33 players with 13 over par and better made second round cut and will now vie for the cash prizes in the final round of the NCBA Bank-sponsored event.
Those who made cut included Kenya’s leading lady golfer Joyce Wanjiru who shot one under par 70 in the second round to tie for seventh place on seven over par.
The leaderboard;
Neer Chandaria 73, 71= 144
Adel Balala 72, 73=145
Elvis Muigua 75, 72=147
Dennis Maara 72, 75= 147
Sammy Mulama 72, 75=147
Eugine Wafula 77, 71=148
Joyce Wanjiru 79, 70=149
Josphat Rono73, 76=149
