Entebbe Open champion Justus Madoya grabbed a first round lead after levelling the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course in the opening round of the Safari Tour eighth leg on Sunday.
Madoya, from Naivasha’s Great Rift Resort, made five birdies for the day, but against a similar number of bogeys to close the day with a two shots advantage over home players Greg Snow, Jeff Kubwa, Nigeria’s Andrew Odoh and John Karichu of Limuru.
The round one leader dropped a shot at the short hole second, before recovering it at the par five-fourth to go level par. But that was short lived as he dropped two successive shots at the fifth and sixth, while at the back nine Madoya, who also doubles as a pastor, birdied the 10th, 12th and 13th, only to drop two shots later at the 14th and 16th, though a late birdie at the par five-18th saw him sign for the level par 71.
Snow and Kubwa on the other hand bogeyed two holes each for the day’s two over par 73, while the Nigerian Odoh bogeyed five holes, four of them at the front nine and one at the back nine with only two birdies for the day.
Following closely on three over par 74 was Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi and Isaiah Otuke, Rwanda’s Alloys Nsabimana, Philip Kasozi of Uganda, Mohit Mediratta, Tony Omuli and Muthaiga amateur Zubair Khan.
Meanwhile during Saturday’s Pro-Am, the team of long hitting pro Dismas Indiza and amateurs Paul Goindi, Jacob Gathecha and Henry Njoroge carded a total of 83 points to claim the team title ahead of John Wangai and his team of Alex Gitari, George Njugu, and Edie Kibera, who carded 79 points.
In third place was the team of Hesbon Kutwa with amateurs David Ombisi, Francis Mungai and Victor Maina also on 79 points.
Taking the individual title was Khushil Nathwani with an impressive 40 points, winning ahead of Francis Mungai on 37, who took the men’s title.
The ladies prize went to Nancy Ndungu on 33 points and winning the nines were George Njugu on 22 and Joseph Iracha on 19 points.
