Three tie at the top as Magical Kenya Ladies Open gets underway

South Africa’s Cara Gorlei produced a bogey-free four under par 69, to share the opening round leadership with pacemaker England’s Eleanor Givens, and latecomer Laura Walsh of Ireland, as the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open got underway at the Baobab Course Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi County on Thursday.

Teeing off from the back nine, the 27 years old Gorlei from Cape Town birdied the 10th, 11th and 13th to turn to the front nine on three under par. She parred the first seven holes until at the eighth where she made a birdie to catch up with Givens who had picked up birdies at the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth, dropped a shot at the fifth for a low 32.

He however dropped shots at the 15th and 16th for four under par 69 on the par 73 course, to eventually share the lead with Gorlei and Walsh. Givens had a super front nine which included birdies at the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth holes, with a bogey in between (fifth).

She picked up the only birdie at the back nine, at the 11th then dropped shots at the 15th and 16th holes. Walsh, who started her day on the back nine, quickly picked up a birdie at the 11th, remained on-course up to the 18th where she closed the back nine with a birdie at the 18th. She later on birdied the fourth and seventh to close the day on a bogey-free round of 69.

Speaking after her round, Givens said, “Six birdies in the first eight holes is kind of a dream way to start my season [although the course] is just really challenging. The layout is tough, and you know, you can get out of position and if you do, you just have to be clever with it and that happened to me a couple of times today. 

“It's windy, it's hot, its firm, it is tough, so I am so pleased with how I started and also how I battled towards the end on some of the holes I got a little bit of position on.

“I haven’t been to Kenya for a while so, I just decided to come here. I couldn't believe it when I saw the zebras [today], I hadn't seen them before when I came here in 2019 and I'm really hoping to see the giraffe before I leave as well.”

Three other players Olivia Mehaffey from North Ireland, Allessandra Fanali of Italy and Sofie Kibsgaard of Sweden tied on three under par 70.

Meanwhile, Vipingo Ridge-based Jackie Walter put up a brave fight, to lead the Kenyans with a two over par 75.

Starting at the back nine, Walter held on firmly, firing pars at up to 14th where she bogeyed, but rolled in a birdie at the 18th, to level the nine. She encountered some problems at a tough front nine where she bogeyed the first, fifth and a seven at the par five-sixth, but made birdies at the eighth and ninth.

Of the others, Naomi Wafula carded 80, Kellie Gachaga 81, and Channelle Wangari shot 82, with Mercy Nyanchama having the toughest round of her life which included a number of bogeys, to finish on 93.

The second round gets underway on Friday 7.45am.