THIKA, Kenya, Jan 15 – Uganda’s Willy Dues and Nyeri Golf Club’s Mutahi Kibugu played identical rounds of three under par 68 to move joint top of the Absa Invitational, the ninth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing, at Thika Greens Golf Resort, as 30 players made the cut.
Despite dropping two shots on the second hole, the Ugandan recovered with birdies on the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 10th, 13th, 14th, and 16th but bogeyed the last two holes to extend his tally to six under par 136 ahead of the final day on Friday.
Speaking after his round, Dues said:
“I played well today, although I must admit that I was a little bit nervous towards the end. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but there were things I could not control, like the wins and bounces on the ball on the 17th and 18th. I am a human like everyone else; the nerves kicked in on the last two holes. I will control what I can control tomorrow and leave the rest to God and see how it goes.”
On his part, Mutahi dropped shots on the third and 11th holes, then birdied the fourth, 14th, and 17th and played an eagle on the 18th to match Dues’ score for the day to set up an exciting flight for the final round.
Commenting after being in the lead for the first time in the tour, Mutahi said:
“It was a nice outing, although the flags were really tucked, and the wind was pumping today. However, I am happy to have played another 3 today. This is my first time being in the lead in this tour, and it feels nice to be back here. I do not feel the pressure. I have been hitting good shots off the tee, and I will continue to capitalize on my swing tomorrow, and I hope I can keep my score low.”
“I have worked very hard, but it did not show last year during the earlier tournaments in the tour, but it is starting to show now. A win here will be a big boost for my confidence and will show my team that I am on the right path,” he added.
Zimbabwe’s Victor Mapwanya, alongside Kenya’s duo of David Wakhu and Njoroge Kibugu, are tied third on the leaderboard with four under-par 138 heading to Friday. While Mapwanya and Wakhu played two under par 69 on Thursday, Njoroge rallied to three under par 68 to move to within touching distance.
The Absa Invitational is offering a total prize purse of Ksh 2 million, alongside Official World Golf Ranking points, World Amateur Golf Ranking points, and valuable Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points, crucial in the race for Sunshine Tour promotion and also count towards qualification for the 2026 Magical Kenya Open.
The Thika Greens Golf Resort leg of the Absa Invitational Series will culminate tomorrow before paving the way for the Karen Country Club event next week.
