By PHILLIP ORWA
John Karichu, Limuru Country Club professional moved into the outright lead after round three of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Qualifying School, capitalizing on a dramatic shift at the top of the leaderboard on Thursday.
The Limuru Pro carded a composed 1-under par 71 to move to a total of 1-under par 215, taking a slender one-shot advantage into the final round, with his round featuring five birdies at the 1st, 6th, 8th, 15th and 18th holes, as he steadily climbed past the overnight leaders with a measured display of consistency.
His late birdie on the 18th capped off a strong finish and handed him control heading into Friday’s decisive final round.
Karichu said “It was a solid day for me. I stayed patient, especially early on, and tried to keep putting myself in good positions. I knew the course would test everyone today, so the key was to stay disciplined and take the chances when they came.
Getting those birdies, especially coming home, was important. But there’s still one more round to go, so nothing is done yet. The focus now is to stay calm, stick to my game plan and try to finish the job tomorrow.”
Karichu’s rise came as overnight leader Ali Wasim endured a difficult third round. The elite amateur, who had led after each of the first two rounds, returned a 3-over par 75 to slip into second place at level par 216.
Wasim’s round saw him struggle to maintain the momentum that had carried him through the opening two days, wiping out the three-under cushion he had built. Despite the setback, he remains firmly in contention heading into the final round.
Wasim said “It was one of those days where a few things just didn’t go my way. I made some mistakes that cost me, but that’s golf. The important thing is that I’m still right there and still have a chance going into the final round.
Tomorrow is all about resetting mentally, staying patient and trusting my game. I’ve put myself in a good position over the first three days, so it’s about giving it one more strong push.”
Round one co-leader William Odek sits third after carding a 2-over par 74, taking his total score to 2-over par 218. Odek remains within striking distance and could still mount a final-round challenge.
American professional Andrew Procter is fourth on 3-over par 219, while elite amateur Sammy Mulama occupies fifth on 4-over par 220. India’s Sujan Shah is sixth at 7-over par 223, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed heading into the final round.
With the final round set for Friday, the Qualifying School remains finely poised, with several players still in contention for top honours and valuable ranking positions as they chase Sunshine Development Tour status for the 2026/27 season.
