By KPC Sports Reporter
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera produced a superb second-round performance to surge to the top of the leaderboard at the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season opener at Thika Sports Club on Monday.
The Kigali Golf Resort & Villas professional carded a near-flawless 3-under par 68 to move to 4-under overall, opening up a two-shot cushion heading into Tuesday’s final round.
Starting on the back nine, Nsanzuwera made a composed start with birdies on the 10th and 15th, turning in 34 after steady play across the remaining holes.
He carried that momentum into the front nine with back-to-back birdies on the 1st and 2nd, before his only blemish of the day—a bogey on the par-4 5th.
“My game felt solid today. I was hitting the fairways well and giving myself good chances, although I missed a few putts that could have made the round even better,” said Nsanzuwera.
“I stayed positive throughout and focused on creating as many birdie opportunities as possible.”
“Starting with a birdie on the 10th gave me good momentum. From there, I concentrated on finding fairways and hitting greens in regulation,” he added.
“I’m hungry to win the first tournament of the season. It would be a great way to start the year and build confidence for the events ahead.”
Newly turned professional Michael Karanga sits second after continuing his impressive debut with a 2-under par 69, moving to 2-under total.
The Ndumberi Golf Club player made a blistering start with birdies on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes, before adding an eagle on the 6th.
He picked up further birdies on the 10th, 13th and 15th, with his only dropped shots coming on the 9th and 18th.
“I’m happy with the way I responded today. I stayed aggressive when opportunities came and trusted my game,” said Karanga.
“It’s exciting to be in contention, especially in my first event as a professional. Tomorrow will be about staying patient and enjoying the challenge.”
Mohit Medirrata is tied for third on level par after a solid 69, alongside overnight leader Samuel Njoroge, who slipped back with a 2-over 73.
Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel is fifth on 1-over, while Edwin Mudanyi, John Karichu and American Andrew Proctor are tied for sixth at 3-over par.
The cut was set at 10-over, with the top 30 players and ties progressing to the final round. A total prize purse of KSh 2 million is on offer, with the winner set to pocket KSh 400,000, alongside valuable world ranking and Order of Merit points.