Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera delivered an excellent second-round display to claim a commanding lead at the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season opener at Thika Sports Club on Monday.
The Kigali Golf Resort & Villas professional fired a near-perfect 3-under par 68 to reach 4-under overall, establishing a two-shot advantage heading into Tuesday’s final round.
Beginning on the back nine, Nsanzuwera started confidently with birdies on the 10th and 15th, turning in 34 after consistent play across the remaining holes.
He maintained that form into the front nine with consecutive birdies on the 1st and 2nd, before his only mistake of the daya bogey on the par-4 5th.
“My game felt solid today. I was hitting the fairways well and creating good opportunities, though I missed a few putts that could have improved my score,” said Nsanzuwera.
“I remained positive throughout and focused on generating as many birdie chances as possible.”
“Starting with a birdie on the 10th gave me great momentum. From there, I concentrated on finding fairways and hitting greens in regulation,” he added.
“I’m eager to win the first tournament of the season. It would be an excellent way to begin the year and build confidence for upcoming events.”
Newly turned professional Michael Karanga sits in second place after continuing his impressive debut with a 2-under par 69, moving to 2-under total.
The Ndumberi Golf Club player began strongly with birdies on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes, before adding an eagle on the 6th.
He collected more birdies on the 10th, 13th and 15th, with his only dropped shots coming on the 9th and 18th.
“I’m pleased with how I responded today. I stayed aggressive when opportunities arose 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 remaining patient and enjoying the challenge.”
Mohit Medirrata shares third place on level par after a solid 69, alongside overnight leader Samuel Njoroge, who fell back with a 2-over 73.
Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel occupies fifth place at 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 advancing to the final round. A total prize purse of KSh 2 million is available, with the winner set to receive KSh 400,000 along with valuable world ranking and Order of Merit points.