Kenya’s Naomi Wafula stole the spotlight on Friday at the SportsBiz Africa Golf Championship in Kigali after sinking a memorable hole-in-one during the second round at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas.
The 26-year-old aced the par-3 second hole with a crisp iron shot, going on to sign for a superb 4-under-par 68 that brought her tournament tally to 1-over-par 145.
The effort secured Wafula a place among the top 30 players who advanced to Saturday’s final round.
“Today was a great round,” Wafula reflected.
“On hole two, I thought my shot was short since the green is uphill. When we got there, one of the caddies said a ball had dropped in — it turned out to be mine. I was super happy, but my caddie reminded me there was still a lot of golf to play. That confidence carried me through the round.”
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera thrilled the home fans with a blistering 9-under-par 63, highlighted by nine birdies and an eagle.
His two-round total of 13-under-par 131 opened up a commanding seven-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard.
“It was an amazing round today,” Nsanzuwera said.
“Starting with back-to-back birdies and an eagle gave me confidence. I hit every fairway, had 23 putts all round, and being at my home course really helped. Tomorrow the plan is to stay calm, trust my putts, and keep focused.”
Chasing the Rwandan are South Africa’s Travis Procter and two-time DP World Tour champion Haydn Porteous, tied for second at 6-under-par 138.
Procter signed for a 69, while Porteous matched him with a steady three-birdie performance.
Kenya’s Eric Ooko leads the charge for his countrymen after a 2-under-par 70 lifted him to 5-under-par 139, just outside the podium places.
Other Kenyan golfers who made the cut include John Wangai, Jastas Madoya, Dismas Indiza, Mutahi Kibugu, Samuel Njoroge, Michael Karanga, John Lejirma, David Wakhu, Ken Abuto, Greg Snow, Daniel Nduva, Mohit Mediratta, Jacob Okello, and Njoroge Kibugu.
The cut fell at 3-over-par 147, trimming the field to 30 contenders who will battle for the USD 25,000 prize fund, Sunshine Development Tour points, and both Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
The SportsBiz Africa Golf Championship is sponsored by SportsBiz Africa, East African Breweries through its Johnnie Walker brand, Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, and Pure Travel.
