Madoya leads Kenyan charge at Uganda open after round one. Photo/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 11 – Great Rift Valley Lodge’s Justus Madoya returned a score of 2-under par 70 to see him finish as the best placed Kenyan after round one action at the 2019 Uganda Open, played at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa.
His score saw him tied in second place with Zimbabwe’s Charamba Tongoona, two shots behind the overnight leader, Irvin Mazibuko of South Africa (-4).
Madoya sits three shots above the next best placed Kenyans, the trio of Sigona Golf Club’s Sujan Shah, Nyali Golf Club’s Njuguna Ngugi and Johnnie Walker sponsored, Dismas Indiza, who are tied for sixth place on a score of one over par.
Madoya had a cold start to his round, with three bogeys at the front nine; on the par-3 fourth, the par-5 second and par-3 seventh. Two birdies at the par-4 sixth and eighth, saw him card a turning score of 1-over par, 37.
He played a blemish free nine holes at the back nine, hitting three birdies while holding par through the rest of the holes to take his round’s score to 2-under par, 71.
Last year’s winner of the Uganda Open, Dismas Indiza also hit three bogeys (first, third and seventh) and two birdies (sixth and ninth) on the front nine, but a further bogey at the tenth saw him struggle to recover, only managing a single birdie at the back nine, while holding par through the rest of the holes.
Sigona’s Sujan Shah’s card had an impressive five birdies, which were unfortunately cancelled out with three bogeys and a one triple bogey at the par-5 second, for an overall score of 1 over par, 73.
The winner of the first leg of the 2019/20 Safari tour, Greg Snow had a slow start to his tournament, returning a score of 2 over par, 74, to see him tie for 17th place after round one action.
A total of 34 Kenyan professionals teed off for the first round of action and will be looking to charge for the Uganda Open title and valuable road to the 2020 Magical Kenya Open points.
The 2019 Uganda Open is the second event of the 2019/20 Safari tour, round two action is set to tee off tomorrow, with the field of 105 players all jostling to make the CUT to play in the third and fourth rounds.
Safari Tour Calendar 2019/20
Event 1 Nyali Golf and Country Club 24th – 28th August 2019 (DONE)
Event 2 Uganda Open (Lake Victoria Serena) 10th – 14th September 2019
Event 3 Royal Nairobi Golf Club 12th – 16th October 2019
Event 4 Entebbe Open (Entebbe Golf Club) 30th Oct – 2nd Nov 2019
Event 5 Rwanda Open (Kigali Golf Club) 6th – 9th November 2019
Event 6 Great Rift Valley Golf Club 23rd – 27th November 2019
Event 7 Muthaiga Golf Club 14th – 18th December 2019
Event 8 Thika Greens 4th – 8th January 2020
Event 9 Sigona Golf Club 25th – 29th January 2020
Event 10 Kitante Open (Uganda Golf Club) 12th – 15th February 2020
Event 11 Karen Country Club 22nd -26th February 2020
Event 12 Tanzania Open (Kiligolf) TBC
2019 Magical Kenya Open, Karen Country Club, 12th – 15th March 2020.
