Magical Kenya Ladies Open: Ashok remains top as Wafula makes history
Aditi Ashok of India follows the progress of her tee during the Magical Kenya Ladies Open Golf Tournament Round Two at the Vipingo Ridge Course in Kilifi County on February 03, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The 24 years old Ashok fired three under par 70 for a two rounds total of nine under par 137, to open a five shots lead from Thailand’s April Angurasaranee, as a field of 63 players including Kenya’s Naomi Wafula made the nine over par 155 second round cut
- Ashok got off well with two quick birdies at the second and third holes, picked up so far her third bogey at the fifth but recovered with a birdie at the seventh and later on at the 10th for the day’s three under par 70
- Ashok hailed Wafula who was in her batch saying the Kenyan only needs to polish a few of her shots and swings and she will be good to go
India’s Aditi Ashok remained firmly at the top of the leader board going into the third round of this year’s Magical Kenya Ladies Open golf tournament at the Baobab course’s par 73 course Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi County.
The 24 years old Ashok fired three under par 70 for a two rounds total of nine under par 137, to open a five shots lead from Thailand’s April Angurasaranee, as a field of 63 players including Kenya’s Naomi Wafula made the nine over par 155 second round cut to proceed to the last two rounds of the 300,000 Euro event, the opening leg of the 2023 Ladies European Tour (LET).
Ashok got off well with two quick birdies at the second and third holes, picked up so far her third bogey at the fifth but recovered with a birdie at the seventh and later on at the 10th for the day’s three under par 70.
“Today, the challenge was picking the right club to finish the job on a section of the course, especially on the par four hole seven where I had an eagle on the opening day.
“I drove my ball behind a tree in the stretch, so I didn't have a line to the flag to play it right. That’s why I missed the green, so I had a chip on there. The day was not so great but a birdie is okay too,” said Ashok.
Ashok said she will continue with her birdie attack on the greens pledging to step up her game in the remaining two rounds.
“I’m still focused on making lots of birdies, I made fewer of them today than Thursday, so on Saturday we are headed to the course in full swing,” she says.
Naomi Wafula of Kenya follows the progress of her tee during the Magical Kenya Ladies Open Golf Tournament Round Two at the Vipingo Ridge Course in Kilifi County on February 03, 2023.
At the same time, Ashok hailed Wafula who was in her batch saying the Kenyan only needs to polish a few of her shots and swings and she will be good to go.
“The girl is good, she played really well, it’s only a few holes that messed her up. According to me, she put up a very decent show,” added Ashok.
The leading Kenyan lady amateur Wafula, who becomes the first Kenya lady golfer to make cut in a Ladies European Tour event, missed several birdies chances in her three over par 76 where she made three bogeys, one in the opening nine and two at the back nine.
“I missed many birdie putts even though I hit pretty good shots in most of the holes, so I will have to work on my putting and try and improve on my approach shots,’’ said Wafula who made it to the cut with a nine over par 155 having posted six over par in the opening nine.
Channelle Wangari of Kenya follows the progress of her tee during the Magical Kenya Ladies Open Golf Tournament Round Two at the Vipingo Ridge Course in Kilifi County on February 03, 2023.
It was however not a good round for the 16 years old Channelle Wangari who starting from the back nine, made a double bogey at the 10th, dropped more shots on the 14th, 15th and 17th.
She embarked on the last nine with a birdie at the first hole, dropped one at the fifth, but it is the triple bogey eight on the par five-seventh, one more bogey at the ninth that contributed to the day’s 81 to wind up the tournament on 12 over par 158.
Mercy Nyanchama, Nancy Wairimu and Jacquelyne Walter finished at the bottom of the list of 96 players.
However back at the leader board, Thailand’s April Angurasaranee birdied the sixth, 11th, 14th and 15th with only two bogeys at the fourth and 17th for her back-to-back 71 for a two rounds total of four under par 142, just a shot better than Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio who also shot 71 for 143.
The leaderboard after close of Round Two;
Aditi Ashok (Ind) 67, 70= 137
April Angurasaranee (Th) 71, 71=142
Marta Sanz Barrio (Sp) 71, 72= 143
Alice Hewason (Eng) 71, 73= 144
Manon De Roey (Bel) 75, 69= 144
Cara Gainer (Eng) 74, 70= 144.
