Muthaiga Open: Three players tie at the top after first round

Three of Kenya’s leading amateur golfers tied at the top of the leaderboard in day one of the 2024 Muthaiga Open golf tournament at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course on Friday.

The three, Sammy Mulama from Mombasa Golf Club, Vipingo Ridge’s Adel Balala and Dennis Maara from Limuru Country Club, fired one over par 72 each, to lead the field of 165 players going into Saturday’s second round of the NCBA Bank-sponsored tournament.

Mulama birdied two holes at the outward nine where he however bogeyed the sixth, picked up a double at the par five-seventh and dropped another shot at the ninth. At the back nine, Mulama who picked up birdies at the 13th and 14th holes and looked set for a low back nine until he bogeyed the 16th hole, to sign for the day’s 72.

Balala, on the other hand, birdied three holes but against four bogeys, while Maara meanwhile, birdied the eighth and 10th but ruined his chances of a low score after dropping shots 13th and 16th in addition to an earlier bogey at the sixth hole.

The three led by the narrow margin of one shot from Sigona’s Sandeep Matharu, home player Neer Chandaria and Golf Park’s Josphat Rono all of whom shot two over par 73 to tie for fourth place.

Defending champion Michael Karanga from Kiambu, tied in eighth place on four over par 75 with five others who included youngster Elvis Muigua also from Kiambu.

However, closing the day in seventh place on his own, was Uganda’s Joseph Cwinyaai on three over par 74.

The second round starts from 6.40am on Saturday.