By KPC Sports Reporter
Ooko navigated the demanding par-71 coastal course with precision, carding birdies on the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 8th holes, with his only blemish on the front nine coming at the 3rd.
Golf Park Golf Club professional Eric Ooko produced a composed three-under-par 68 to claim the clubhouse lead after the opening round of the Absa Invitational, the fourth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, at Nyali Golf & Country Club.
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He turned in four-under-par 33 before adding further birdies on the 11th and 17th holes. Despite bogeys on the 13th and 16th, he signed for a 68 to take a one-shot lead into Wednesday’s second round.
The Golf Park pro attributed his strong start to patience, solid ball-striking and disciplined course management.
“It’s always good to start a tournament with a solid round. I stayed patient, gave myself plenty of birdie opportunities and managed the course well. There are still two rounds to play, so the focus is to remain consistent and keep doing the basics well,” said Ooko.
Just one shot off the pace on two-under-par 69 is a trio comprising Nigeria’s Ideriah Solomon, Sigona Golf Club’s Mohit Mediratta and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, setting up a tightly contested chase heading into round two.
Making his first serious challenge near the top of the leaderboard this season, Solomon expressed satisfaction with his opening-round performance.
“I’m pleased with the start. The conditions were good, and I managed to stay disciplined throughout the round. Hopefully I can build on this over the next two days,” he said.
Mediratta, who has been among the most consistent performers on the Tour following his strong showing at the Kabete Challenge, felt there was still room for improvement despite an encouraging start.
“I struck the ball well and gave myself chances. There are a few putts I would have liked to make, but overall it’s a positive opening round and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead,” he said.
For Nsanzuwera, winner of the season-opening Sunshine Development Tour event at Thika Sports Club, maintaining momentum will be key over the remaining rounds.
“I’m happy to be in contention after day one. The course requires patience, and I’ll be looking to maintain my rhythm as the tournament progresses,” he said.
A further shot back on one-under-par 70 is a packed eight-way tie featuring Kenya’s Abraham Galgalo, Taimur Malik, David Wakhu, Greg Snow, Michael Karanga and leading amateur Adel Balala, alongside Nigeria’s Sunday Olapade and Uganda’s Phillip Kasozi.
Their presence on the leaderboard sets the stage for an intense battle as the tournament approaches the halfway mark.
Sponsored by Absa Bank Kenya, the tournament has attracted 80 golfers from nine countries, all competing for a share of the KES 2 million prize fund, as well as valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points that count towards qualification for the main Sunshine Tour.
Round two tees off on Wednesday morning, with players seeking to secure places in Thursday’s final round. At the end of the second round, only the top 30 players and ties will make the cut and advance to the championship round, where the race for the title is expected to intensify.
