Kisia, Mwangi take first round lead in Kabete Open

Home players Mike Kisia and Jack Mwangi shot one over par 73 each to open a one shot lead at the close of round one in this year’s Kabete Open at the par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course on Saturday.

Kisia started with two successive bogeys in the first two holes, before going level par after picking up birdies on the fourth and seventh.

He however dropped a shot at the eighth, to carry forward a one under par to the back nine where he again dropped two shots at the 15th and 16th. However, his two birdies on the 17th and 18th saw him sign for a one over par, to share the lead with Mwangi who birdied the fourth, fifth, seventh and 12th but against bogeys on the third, sixth, 13th, 14th and 16th holes.

Chasing the two on two over par 74 were Isaac Makokha of Vet Lab, Muthaiga’s Mutahi Kibugu and Simon Njogu from the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort Naivasha.

Makokha finished the round with a birdie at the 18th though he dropped three shots at the first nine and two at the back nine’s 15th and 17th with only two earlier birdies at the fourth and seventh. Kibugu started well firing four birdies in the first nine having dropped early shots at the second and third, and later at the back nine’s 13th and 14th. Njogu managed to birdie the seventh and ninth after bogeying the second and sixth.

He was on course at the back nine after a birdie at the 12th and a two club at the 15th though two double bogeys over the 11th and 13th could only give him 74 to tie for the third place with Uganda Open champion Daniel Nduva and youngster Steve Orinda doing the chase with three over par 75 each.

The second round of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series event was still on at the time of writing.