Mudanyi in pole position at Sigona

Vet Lab Sports Club’s Edwin Mudanyi Monday missed several birdie putts, but still managed to level the course and grab a one shot lead half way through the fourth leg of the 2020 Safari Tour golf series at the par 72 Sigona Golf Club course.

He dropped an early shot at the par four-second hole, recovered with a birdie at the sixth, but bogeyed the seventh though a birdie at the 11th saw him back at level par for a two rounds total of two under par 142 to lead by one shot from Dismas Indiza, Railway’s Samuel Njoroge and round one joint leader David Wakhu of Golf Park.

“I could have finished with a very low score if I managed to putt in all my birdie putts. I had many chances but missed some very short putts. I am going to work on my putts and make sure I finish with a low score in the last two rounds," said Mudanyi.

Of the three players who tied for the second place, the long hitter Dismas Indiza played a bogey-free three under par 69 for a two rounds total of one under par 143.

“Today the course was playing well and I managed to play well save for the 12th hole where I missed a short putt for a birdie though in all I managed to save many putts," said Indiza, who birdied the second, eighth and 13th.

“In addition to the ninth hole where I was two feet for a birdie, I missed two other short putts at the 17th and the 18th though the course was generally playing well, and I am hoping it will be the same in the remaining two rounds," added Indiza, who is using the fourth leg to prepare himself for the Uganda Open next month.

Terrible round

Wakhu, on the other hand, said his game collapsed from the fifth hole where he hit his tee-shot to the bunker, chipped out well but missed a very close putt. Then made a double at the sixth followed by two bogeys at the seventh and eighth.

“It was going to be disastrous if I did not manage to get myself together at the back nine where I made three straight birdies for a start then added one more at the 16th to make two over par 74," said Wakhu.

His co-leader in the first round, Robson Chinhoi, had an eight at the par five-ninth after pushing his driver to the right side trees, then dropped a shot at the par three-14th for three over par 75 and a total of 143.

“It was a terrible round but not to worry, there are two more rounds to play and who knows what will happen," said Chinhoi.

A total of 24 players including three amateurs made the seven over par 151 second round cut.

What a wonderful day it was for the former ladies champion Naomi Wafula, who rolled in a total of six birdies,  despite having made a number of bogeys for one under par 71, to tie for eighth place on 145, while former Eldoret Golf Club chairman Andrew Chelogoi, now a pro, shot one over par 73 to make his first cut in the tour with a total of 147, same as amateur Adel Balala who posted 76.

The leader board;

Edwin Mudanyi  70, 72= 142

Dismas Indiza 74, 69= 143

Samuel Njoroge 71, 72= 143

David Wakhu 69, 74= 143

Brian Njoroge 73, 71= 144

Eric Ooko 73, 71=144

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 69, 75= 144

Naomi Wafula(Am) 74, 71= 145

Justus Madoya 70, 75= 145