RUIRU, Kenya, Aug 17 – After the second round of the fifth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, Nyali Golf Club’s Daniel Nduva and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera took control of the Absa Ruiru Invitational tournament.
The two are tied on 5-under par overall, setting up a closely contested final round tomorrow.
Nduva, who won the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg earlier this season, produced a composed round, carding 3-under par 67.
He made birdies on the second, ninth, 13th and 17th holes, with his only dropped shot coming on the final hole.
“It was another solid round. I managed to hit some good shots and convert a few birdie opportunities. The bogey on 18 was a bit disappointing, but overall I am happy with the way I played. I am in a good position going into tomorrow and I just need to stay patient and focus on executing my game,” Nduva said.
On his part, Nsanzuwera, who started the day tied for fifth on 1-under par, also produced a near-flawless round of 4-under par 66, featuring five birdies on the third, fourth, ninth, 12th and 16th holes. His only blemish came on the 14th hole.
“It was a very good round for me. I stayed patient and managed to take advantage of the opportunities I got. The birdies gave me good momentum and I was able to keep my focus throughout the round. I am happy with where I am going into the final round and will just try to play my game and see what happens,” Nsanzuwera stated.
Taking third position on 4-under par overall is Nyali professional Samuel Njoroge Chege, the winner of the Absa Invitational at Nyali last month.
Chege carded a 3-under par 67 despite an early setback, dropping shots on the fourth and fifth holes before recovering strongly with birdies eighth, 12th, 13th and 14th holes, adding to an earlier birdie on the second.
“I had a difficult start and the two early bogeys could easily have affected my round, but I managed to settle down and get myself back into it. The birdies in the middle of the round gave me the momentum I needed. I am happy to be in contention again and looking forward to tomorrow,” Chege underscored.
Mike Kisia of VetLab Sports Club occupies fourth position on 3-under par overall after carding an impressive 4-under par 66 to recover from his opening-round 1-over par.
A three-way tie for fifth position on 2-under par features John Karichu of Limuru Country Club, David Wakhu of Golf Park and Nigeria’s Godwin Okoko.
Following the second round, the top 30 players and ties will proceed to the final round on Tuesday, with a Sh2 million prize purse up for grabs. The winner will take home Sh400,000.
