Windsor Golf Country Club’s ace Njoroge Kibugu gained seven shots in the second round of the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Equator tour to take first place on the leaderboard with a score of 11 under par to sit three shots ahead of a tied second-placed quartet led by Daniel Nduva, John Karichu, Eric Ooko and David Wakhu (-8).  

Njoroge Kibugu teed off to a great start, securing four birdies in a bogey-free front nine before turning to the back nine where he picked four more birdies but a bogey at the 13th denied him to go four shots clear at the top.

Njoroge birdied numbers 1,4,5, and nine in the front nine before turning his sword to collect four more birdies at the 10th, 14, 16 and 18. After his second round, Njoroge told People Sports he is focused on delivering a bogey-free round with more birdies in the final two rounds set for this weekend.  

“It was a great round for me with 8 birdies, but a bogey set me back in my quest for a bogey-free round, which I am hoping to achieve in the final two rounds. The course is in great shape, and I am confident I will put up a stronger fight tomorrow and extend my lead. I still feel the three-shot lead is close, so I have no room for comfort but focus.” Njoroge Kibugu told People Sports.  

Daniel Nduva was upset by his back nine where he dropped three crucial shots that forced him to settle for a tied second place with -8.

Nduva teed off his campaign with four birdies and a sole bogey in his front nine before rolling his ball into a tough back nine where he lost three shots at number 13 and 14.

Nduva bullied the first hole, numbers 2, 4 and 9 with clean birdies that superseded a sole bogey at number 6.  

Nduva continued with great form at number 10 and 11 where he sank in two more birdies to cut the deficit to within two shots in his chase to level with Njoroge Kibugu at the top of the leader board and he approached number 12 with caution and picked a par before a bogey at the 13th and worse, a double bogey at number 14 to force him to drop further to a tied 6th place which he rescued by sinking two birdies at number 16 and 18 to leapfrog to a tied second position.   

Nduva told People Sports, “I can’t complain much about numbers 13 and 14, but the effects can be seen on the leaderboard, so tomorrow I’ll be back to write off all those mistakes I did today and approach my game with a relaxed mind and great will to dominate the course.”  

Meanwhile, junior golfer Junaid Manji gave the pros a run for their money with tactical golf that got the 17-year-old from Sigona Golf Club to make a tough cut after he settled for a tied 7th place with 5 under par for a tie with Greg Snow, Njuguna Ngugi, and Rizwan Charania. 

Meanwhile, living up to your father’s name is one thing — competing against him to do it is another. 

That was the challenge faced by amateur golfer Luke Poulter, the 21-year-old son of 2008 Open runner-up and five-time Ryder Cup winner Ian Poulter, as both looked to secure one of the five Open qualifying spots on offer at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club.

The 36-hole single-day event in Kent, south-east England, was one of four last-gasp qualifying events taking place around the United Kingdom on Tuesday.