BY PHILLIP ORWA
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera surged to the top of the leaderboard after sinking 3-under-par 68 during his second round performance at the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season opener at Thika Sports Club on Monday.
The Kigali Golf Resort & Villas professional, after recording the 3-under par 68, moved to 4-under par overall, taking a two-shot lead into Tuesday’s final round.
Nsanzuwera scored birdies on the 10th and 15th holes while playing level par across the remaining holes to make the turn in 34 on the back nine. He carried that momentum onto the front nine with quick birdies on the 1st and 2nd before his only dropped shot of the day came on the par-4 5th.
“My game felt solid today. I was hitting the fairways well and giving myself good chances, although I missed a few putts that could have made the round even better. I stayed positive throughout and focused on creating as many birdie opportunities as possible. Starting with a birdie on the 10th gave me good momentum. From there, I concentrated on finding fairways and hitting greens in regulation, which helped me stay consistent and keep moving forward. I’m hungry to win the first tournament of the season. It would be a great way to start the year and build confidence for the events ahead,” Nsanzuwera said.
Perched in second place is newly turned professional Michael Karanga, who continued his impressive pro debut with a respectable 2-under par 69 second round to move to 2-under par total.
The Ndumberi Golf Club player made an explosive start with birdies on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes before adding an eagle on the 6th. On the second nine, he picked up further birdies on the 10th, 13th and 15th, with his only dropped shots coming on the 9th and 18th.
Karanga said: “I’m happy with the way I responded today. I stayed aggressive when opportunities came and trusted my game. It’s exciting to be in contention, especially in my first event as a professional. Tomorrow will be about staying patient and enjoying the challenge.”
Sharing third place on level par total is Mohit Medirrata, who fired a solid 2-under par 69. His round featured birdies on the 1st, 2nd, 14th and 18th, with bogeys on the 15th and 16th. He is tied with overnight leader Samuel Njoroge, who returned a 2-over par 73 to slip back after leading following round one.
Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel occupies fifth place on 1-over par, while Edwin Mudanyi, John Karichu and American Andrew Proctor are tied for sixth on 3-over.
The cut was set at 10-over par, with the top 30 players and ties advancing to Tuesday’s final round.
A total prize purse of Sh2 million is on offer, with the winner set to take home Sh400,000. The players are also competing for valuable Official World Golf Ranking points, World Amateur Golf Ranking points, and crucial Order of Merit standings.
