South African Cara Gorlei surged into the lead of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open after shooting a five under par 72 in the second round Friday to become the outright leader.
She had started the day tied with England’s Eleanor Givens with four under par 69 each for the lead at the par 73 Baobab Course Vipingo Ridge.
But a flawless second round display that produced three straight birdies and three more in the 10th, 11th and 13th put her in charge with a one-stroke advantage going into the third round.
Nataliya Guseva kept pace with four under par for the day to move second while Ayako Uehara is two shots off the lead and tied with three others – Chiara Tamburlini, Shannon Tan and Alessandra Tanali.
The cut at six over par left all Kenyan competitors locked out with only 64 players advancing into the third round where the race for the 300,000-euro prize pool is expected to heat up.
The Magical Kenya Ladies Open, which forms part of the Ladies European Tour 2024 calendar, provides a platform for talented female golfers from around the world to showcase their skills and compete against each other.
Absa Bank Kenya is investing Sh15 million in the tour, taking its position as the tournament’s official banking partner.
Among the five Kenyan amateur golfers who competed include Naomi Wafula, Mercy Nyanchama, Channelle Wangari, Jacqueline Walter, and Kellie Gachaga.
