Africa-Press – Kenya. Series leader Michael Karanga fired an identical one over par 74 to take a one-shot lead in the penultimate round of the ongoing Coronation Cup at the par 73 Nakuru golf club.
Coronation Cup is the 8th leg of the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships (KAGC) series which is also the qualifier for the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Karanga started off badly on Friday with a bogey in the opening hole. However, he managed birdies in the 6th, 14th and 18th.
Karanga dropped one shot in the 9th and parred in the 2nd, 3rd 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 17th with a double bogey in the 16th for one over.
The result left the Kiambu golfer third after round one behind joint leaders Dennis Maara and Raphael Leiming’ani. Karanga recovered well in the second round with two over par 74 for a total of 148 to take a one-shot lead against Golf Park’s Josphat Rono with 149.
Karanga is chasing his 5th title of the series after victories at Sigona, Windsor, Muthaiga and the Railways Golf Club. On Saturday, the former Limuru captain sunk four birdies in the 6th, 9th, 15th and 18th.
He then made pars in the opening hole, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th. He dropped a shot in 4th, 7th, and 11th and double-bogeyed in third for 74 in total.
His main rival Rono managed to roll in two birdies 15 pars and a bogey one under par 72 but his four over par 77 in the opening round on Friday placed him second with three over par 149. Vet lab’s Edgar Brian concluded the day in joint lead with Maara in third position five over par 151.
The Kenya team of Maara, Karanga, Kiambu’s Elvis Muigua and Kenya Railways’ John Lejirma, are using the event as part of their training ahead of this year’s Annual Region IV Golf Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia set for June 5-11.
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