Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-08 17:44:18
South Africa’s Cara Gorlei shot a bogey-free four under par 69 to share the opening round leadership at the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open. Gorlei, along with England’s Eleanor Givens and Ireland’s Laura Walsh, led the tournament as it got underway at the Baobab Course Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi County on Thursday.
Gorlei, 27, from Cape Town, made birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 13th holes to turn at three under par. She then parred the first seven holes before making a birdie on the eighth to catch up with Givens, who had picked up birdies at the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, and dropped a shot on the fifth for a low 32.
Gorlei eventually shared the lead with Givens and Walsh after Givens dropped shots at the 15th and 16th holes. Givens had a strong front nine, including six birdies and a bogey at the fifth.
Walsh made a quick start with a birdie on the 11th, then closed the back nine with another birdie on the 18th. She later birdied the fourth and seventh to finish the day at a bogey-free round of 69.
Givens commented on her round, stating, “Six birdies in the first eight holes is kind of a dream way to start my season [although the course] is just really challenging. The layout is tough, and you know, you can get out of position and if you do, you just have to be clever with it and that happened to me a couple of times today. It’s windy, it’s hot, its firm, it is tough, so I am so pleased with how I started and also how I battled towards the end on some of the holes I got a little bit of position on.”
Three other players—Olivia Mehaffey from North Ireland, Allessandra Fanali of Italy, and Sofie Kibsgaard of Sweden—tied on three under par 70. Vipingo Ridge-based Jackie Walter led the Kenyans with a two over par 75.
Walter started at the back nine and ended with a birdie on the 18th. She encountered some problems at a tough front nine but made birdies at the eighth and ninth.
Of the other Kenyan players, Naomi Wafula carded 80, Kellie Gachaga 81, and Channelle Wangari shot 82. Mercy Nyanchama had a tough round, finishing on 93.
The second round begins at 7:45 am on Friday.
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