Balala continues to impress in Abu Dhabi

Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) title holder Adel Balala has continued to post impressive results at this year's Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship ongoing at the par 72 at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. 

Part of a field of 64 top amateurs invited for the Championship, Balala shot three under par 69 in the first round played on Tuesday 14 December to close the day tied second. 

Kenya Open: Balala ups preps in Abu Dhabi

In the front nine, the Kenya Amateur Stroke-Play winner picked a birdie in the par four first but dropped a shot at the par four fourth to close his front nine on level par 36. It was at the back nine where his putting came to life as he birdied the first three holes of the back nine (par four tenth, par five eleventh and par three twelfth). 

He, however, dropped a shot at the 425 yard par four 13th before picking a birdie at the par five 15th for the day's 69.

In the second round, Balala who is using the recent competitions to prepare for the Magical Kenya Open set for March 2022, picked one birdie on the first hole, just as he had in the first round. 

He, however, dropped shots at the par par 4 fifth and the par three sixth for a 37 out. At the back nine, he made three birdies at the 10th, 15th and 17th while dropping shots at the par five eleventh and the par four sixteenth to level the field and maintain a three under-par 141. 

His second round score saw him finish tied 14th on the day but fifth overall behind overnight leader Josh Hill from the United Kingdom who has a one shot lead at 135. Denmark's Victor Svendsen is second on 136 while countryman Frederik Birkelund and Ireland's Keith Egan are tied third on 139.

The winner of the amateur golfer championship will line up in the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, following confirmation from Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council .