Jarger maintains lead as Ngige charges impressively at Magical Kenya Open

Early exchanges have taken place in the top-five of the ongoing round three of the Magical Kenya Open, which teed off on Saturday morning with South African Loius de Jarger keeping the lead.

By 2.30pm Saturday, Jarger, who took charge following Friday’s impressive second round concluded at 5-under par 66 storming to the summit with a total of 12-under par, and clung on the top despite registering just a bogey in the first hole.

Gaganjeet Bhullar of India has  in the meantime dethroned English Jack Singh Brar and Spain’s Adri Arnaus who were trailing Jarger by just four strokes by close of Friday action, having hit back-to-back birdies in the first and the second holes of the front nine.

Another South African, Justin Harding, is currently third after managing a birdie in the second hole of the front nine, as Brar and Arnaus drop to fourth and sixth respectively, sandwiching Italian Guido Migliozzi at fifth.

Ngige rising

Kenyan Simon Ngige is a distant 22nd having started the day on promising note, hitting a birdie in his first hole before slowing down with back-to-back bogeys in the fourth and fifth respectively, before reclaiming his surge with a birdie in the seventh.

An eagle in the 12th preceded by a birdie in the 11th has helped him maintain his momentum, keeping an ecstatic group of fans following him with optimism.

Ngige, of Thika Sports Club, currently carries Kenya’s hope in the competition as his only counterpart Justus Madoya of Great Rift Valley Resorts in round three has struggled to make impact in the third day, managing only two birdies towards completing the round.

Meanwhile, a second cut will be applied upon the conclusion of round three to trim the field to the top 72 and ties. This follows Friday’s cut, where 79 players were within the cut line – which was set at 2-over par for the tournament.

This is different from previous Kenya Open Golf Championships where the Cut was applied after the first two rounds to reduce the field to the top 60 players and ties.

“In the event that the cut after two rounds qualifies more than 78 players for the third and fourth rounds, then there will be an additional cut after three rounds to the leading 72 professionals and those who tie for 72nd place. This third-round cut will not be implemented where circumstances dictate that there is no re-draw between rounds 3 and 4,” European Tour said last week.

The second cut is a European Tour regulation to reduce the field to a manageable number to accommodate the demands of live TV on the Sunday’s grand finale.