L. MathekaMKO: Mutahi only Kenyan in the money bracket as race for 2023 title heats up
Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 10.03.23. | 20:15
Defending champion Ashun Wu missed cut.
A double bogey at the par three 16th on his back nine denied Mutahi Kibugu a chance to play under par for a second consecutive round at this year's Magical Kenya Open (MKO) ongoing at Muthaiga Golf Club.
The two dropped shots and a birdie in his final hole of the day saw the 22-year-old return a second round score of par 71 to maintain his three under par 139 and make cut.
Delight for Mutahi Kibugu and the Kenyan crowd 😍
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 10, 2023
A birdie at the last to make the weekend!#MagicalKenyaOpen pic.twitter.com/PwIfX9ozGA
Mutahi will be the only Kenyan on the course in the next two rounds as he looks to break a 54-year record of no Kenyan winning the Open.
The younster, who last featured in the Kenya Open in 2019 as an amateur, started his second round at the par four first, picking a bogey.
That, however, did not dampen his spirit as he parred the next hole and and picked back-to-back birdies at the four third and par five fourth.
Whatever happens to 🇰🇪 golfers at the @KenyaOpenGolf is a mystery. Ango once told me it's the crowd since they are used to playing on empty, extremely quiet courses on the Safari Tour and beyond (thoughts ?) Yet another Kibugu saves us from missing entirely on the last two days! https://t.co/XNMyT4Gh7x
— Matheka (@Lynmatheka) March 10, 2023
He dropped two more shots at the par four sixth and eighth, holes that have in the last two days proven to ba an achilles heel for Kenyan golfers, denying Simon Ngige and under par score in round one.
Mutahi picked a birdie before turning the corner for an almost blemish-less back nine but for the double bogey at the 16th. He picked two birdies for 35 out and the day's par.
Meanwhile, Spaniard Nacho Elvira maintained a steady round, after playing a bogeyless first round for four under par 67, to post six under par 65 in second round for a combined ten under par 132 to headline the scoreboard heading into the final two rounds.
Elvira bogeyed the par five fourth but his round remained perfect from there on picking birdies at the seventh, eighth, tenth, 16 and 17 and going for an eagle at the par five 18th for 35 out and 30 in.
Overnight tied leader after the first round Catlin John who had carded seven under par 64 in the first round to take the overnight lead alongside South African Dylan Mostert had a less impressive second round.
The American, Catlin, carded one under par for a combined eight under par had a round to forget, dropping three shots at the par three fifth with two more bogeys at the ninth and 13th with four birdies for the day's score.
