Kenya Open: Sharma thrives in high altitude to take lead as 75 make cut

Shubhankar Sharma, made his move to the top of the leaders as the 2022 Magical Kenya Open reached its half way mark with 75 golfers making the one under par cut to proceed to the money bracket. 

Teeing off in the morning, the Indian golfer birdied three of his last four holes to take a one-shot lead into the weekend with the day's four under par 67 and a combine ten under par 132. 

He engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle with Japan's Masahiro Kawamura at the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Course that proced a nut too tough to break for home golfers but for teenage amateur golfer Njoroge Kibugu. A birdie-birdie finish saw him get his nose in front at 10 under after a 67.

Kawamura carded a bogey-free 66 to sit at nine under alongside Scotland's Ewen Ferguson, with South African Thriston Lawrence fourth at seven under. 

Sharma who in 2017 became the youngest Indian pro to win in a tour in 2017 when he clinched the co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event, dropped only two shots during the day and made birdies on the second, sixth, eighth and ninth. He had started the round from the back nine where he parred eight holes and closed the back nine with an eagle at the 18th hole.

Sharma started the 2022 DP World Tour season by finishing second for his best Rolex Series result at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.He entered the week fifth in the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) but would move even higher should he claim a third win this week

The 25-year-old claimed two wins in as many months as 2017 turned to 2018 and believes his experience playing at altitude in his first victory at the Joburg Open is helping him this week.

“I am really happy, whenever you finish with two birdies you’re always happy," he said. "It was a good round for me today, it was quite a slow start for me starting on the back nine, not much was happening for me, but that eagle on the 18th really propelled me. The front nine was great, missed birdie opportunities on both the par fives but came back strong on eight and nine with birdies and I am really pleased with the score.

Personally I have done well whenever I play at altitude. I am good at controlling my irons, so I did not do too much trackman work this week. I might have hit about 50 balls on the trackman this week and I just got my numbers," he said.

He continued, "My first win came in Joburg which was also at altitude so I have good memories from playing at places where the golf course is at a height and that is definitely helping. I’m very pleased with what I’ve done over the past few days.”

Kawamura made the first big move as birdies on the tenth, 12th and 14th moved him level with overnight leader Daniel Gavins but Sharma recovered from a bogey on the 14th with an eagle on the 18th and a birdie on the second saw him lead at eight under.

A bogey on the third dropped him back alongside Kawamura and there was a three-way tie as Ferguson birdied the tenth and first. A Sharma birdie on the sixth was matched by Kawamura on the seventh and Sharma added another gain after an excellent approach to the eighth. Kawamura then closed out his round with a ten-foot birdie on the ninth but Sharma hit back from similar range to edge himself in front.

Ferguson had dropped a shot on the second but he too picked up shots on the way home, birdieing the fourth, sixth and seventh in a 67.

Lawrence - the first winner of the DP World Tour era at November's Joburg Open - birdied the tenth and 12th and while he gave a shot back on the 14th, further gains followed on the third and fourth.

Another bogey came on the fifth but he birdied the sixth, seventh and ninth in a 66.

Kibugu carded a bogey-free 66 to sit at six under alongside South African Dean Burmester, Spaniard Angel Hidalgo, German Hurly Long and Swede Jesper Svensson. 

Additional reporting by DP World Tour