Five Kenyans make the cut at Karen Masters

Five Kenyan players made their way to the last two rounds of this year’s KCB Karen Masters at the par 72 Karen Country Club course on Friday.

They are among the field of 64 players who made the second round cut, to charge for the “Blue Jacket’’ plus the cash prize in the Sunshine Tour-sanctioned event.

Leading the local challenge was Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige, one of the few Kenyans who have been playing in the Sunshine Tour. Ngige made three birdies at the first, seventh and eighth.

He double-bogeyed the 10th and dropped shots over the 16th and 17th, to finish the day on two under par 70, to make the cut with a two rounds total of three under par 141.

Kenya’s long-hitting professional Dismas Indiza also shot two under par for 142. Playing very conservatively, Indiza dropped only one shot at the 13th hole, with birdies coming on the third, sixth and the last hole where he missed the green on two after firing to the left side of the green.

But what a day it was for South Africa-based Stefan Andersen who started the day on four under par. He, however, made four bogeys from the fourth to the seventh and late on the 16th and 17th, having made only two birdies at the third and 15th for five over par 77 to just sneak into the cut with one over par 145.

Also making it with one over par was Riz Charania, who recovered from three over the first round to post two under par 70, while the fifth player was Mohit Mediratta - who shot two over par 74.

“Nothing was working for me today as I dropped a number of shots which I should not have dropped, but I will see how it goes in the last two rounds," said Mediratta, who has also been featuring in the Sunshine Tour events. A total of 32 local pros and six amateurs had been listed to play.