EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

Local hero Ali leads Kenya Open by two shots

By PAUL SYMES, Challenge Tour Press Officer
The English duo of Robert Dinwiddie and Oliver Fisher played themselves into contention on day two of the Kenya Open, but both were upstaged by local hero Ali Kimani.
Kimani, cheered on by a partisan crowd at Nairobi’s Muthaiga Golf Club, played the round of his life – a 65 featuring eight birdies – to move to seven under par, two strokes clear of Dinwiddie, Fisher and Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer.
In his four visits to the Kenya Open since turning professional in 2005 Kimani, who was taken under his wing by Markus Brier’s caddy Max Zechmann when he decided to try his luck on the Alps Tour, has only made the cut once, in 2008.
But the 26 year old is now setting his sights on going one better than his compatriot Jacob Okello, who at the 1998 Kenya Open lost out in a play-off to Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez.
Looking to prevent a first home victory since the €190,000 event joined the Challenge Tour Schedule in 1991 is Dinwiddie, who was aided by a hot putter. The highlight of his round came at the 15th hole, where he sunk a birdie putt from 35 feet.
He said: “It was another pleasing day, particularly on the greens, although I didn’t get off to the best of starts with a double bogey at the fourth. I got distracted on the tee and should’ve backed off, but ended up playing the shot and hit it way right. So I paid the penalty, but luckily I was able to make amends with some birdies on the back nine. The long putt on the 15th was a bonus, and it’s always nice to finish with a birdie, which puts me in a good position going into the weekend.”
Dinwiddie’s compatriot Fisher, making his Challenge Tour debut, is also on the comeback trail after losing his playing privileges on The European Tour last season, but he showed his class with a flawless round of 66.
The youngster from Essex notched five unanswered birdies at Muthaiga Golf Club’s newly-renovated course, and will now attempt capture a maiden title since turning professional in 2006.
The 21 year old got his round going with a birdie on the fourth hole following a good chip and his second birdie of the day came courtesy of a 10-foot putt at the ninth hole, before adding another three after the turn to complete a satisfying morning’s work.
He said: “It’s my first Challenge Tour event, and so far I’m enjoying it. I already know a few of the guys out here from playing amateur golf with them, so it’s always nice to see a familiar face. I don’t know how the season will pan out – hopefully I’ll win a couple of times and get back onto the main Tour, but it might take a little longer than that. All I can do is play to the best of my ability, shoot as low as possible and hope it gets me the right results. The belief’s starting to come back now, and if I can keep shooting low scores, obviously the confidence will keep building.”
Ritthammer, who won the EPD Tour order of Merit last season, got off to a flying start with an eagle at his first hole, the tenth. The German then collected three birdies and two bogeys to sign for a round of 68 which saw him join Dinwiddie and Fisher in a three-way tie for fifth, with sixth players one shot back on four under par.
Four Scots made the cut with nothing to spare on 143 - Lloyd Saltman (73-70), Scott Jamieson (72-71), Callum Macaulay (67-76) and Jamie McLeary (70-73).
Out of the weekend action are compatriots Jack Doherty (73 for 145) and Alan McLean (72 for 146).
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
135 A Kimani (Ken) 70 65,
137 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 68 69, O Fisher (Eng) 71 66, B Ritthammer (Ger) 69 68,
138 A Ahokas (Fin) 70 68, L Moolman (RSA) 70 68, J Larsen (Nor) 68 70, A Marshall (Eng) 68 70, N Meitinger (Ger) 70 68, M Bothma (RSA) 69 69,
139 C Russo (Fra) 69 70, D Brooks (Eng) 70 69, B Wiesberger (Aut) 69 70, S Manley (Wal) 70 69, O Floren (Swe) 71 68, A Haindl (RSA) 68 71, F De Vries (Ned) 68 71,
140 J Sjöholm (Swe) 71 69, O Whiteley (Eng) 70 70, K Eriksson (Swe) 68 72, J Zapata (Arg) 72 68, C Ford (Eng) 72 68, G Clark (Eng) 68 72, J Roos (RSA) 65 75, A Gee (Eng) 69 71,
141 B Barham (Eng) 71 70, P Golding (Eng) 72 69, F Widmark (Swe) 68 73, B Mason (Eng) 71 70, P Del Grosso (Arg) 69 72, J Abbate (Arg) 70 71, A Högberg (Swe) 66 75, G Houston (Wal) 72 69, J Clément (Sui) 70 71, F Praegant (Aut) 68 73,
142 J Billot (Fra) 69 73, C Brazillier (Fra) 71 71, O Bekker (RSA) 72 70, S Buhl (Ger) 72 70, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 75 67, T Whitehouse (Eng) 69 73, B Evans (Eng) 72 70, B Chapellan (Fra) 71 71, M Higley (Eng) 72 70, S Davis (Eng) 69 73, B Grace (RSA) 70 72,
143 J McLeary (Sco) 70 73, G Watremez (Bel) 72 71, L Saltman (Sco) 73 70, A Willey (Eng) 71 72, C Macaulay (Sco) 67 76, S Surry (Eng) 70 73, T Charamba (Zim) 71 72, A Snobeck (Fra) 71 72, S Jamieson (Sco) 72 71, A Maestroni (Ita) 71 72, R Karlberg (Swe) 69 74, V Riu (Fra) 73 70, T Remkes (Ned) 70 73, T Mordt (RSA) 71 72, A Mellor (Eng) 74 69, M Korhonen (Fin) 74 69, N Cheetham (Eng) 70 73, J Grillon (Fra) 74 69,
MISSED THE CUT
144 R Steiner (Aut) 72 72, S Lilly (Eng) 72 72, C Günther (Ger) 70 74, S Tiley (Eng) 73 71, G Rosier (Fra) 75 69, A Tadini (Ita) 70 74, P Oriol (Esp) 71 73, N Rokoine (Ken) 72 72, N Bruzelius (Swe) 70 74, Å Nilsson (Swe) 72 72, P Edberg (Swe) 74 70, A Kaleka (Fra) 76 68, R Santos (Por) 69 75,
145 J Xanthopoulos (Fra) 75 70, S Ngige (Ken) 72 73, A Perrino (Ita) 71 74, L Kennedy (Eng) 75 70, D Hewan (RSA) 76 69, I Pyman (Eng) 74 71, F Colombo (Ita) 72 73, J Doherty (Sco) 72 73, L De Jager (RSA) 72 73,
146 J Cunliffe (RSA) 71 75, A Georgiou (RSA) 72 74, A Rocha (Bra) 74 72, R Ainley (Ken) 72 74, A McLean (Sco) 74 72, L James (Eng) 70 76,
147 S Lewton (Eng) 73 74, J Moul (Eng) 74 73, T Olesen (Den) 74 73, P Dwyer (Eng) 73 74, J Makitalo (Fin) 77 70, M Bremner (RSA) 74 73, H Thethy (Ken) 72 75, D Griffiths (Eng) 73 74, T Feyrsinger (Aut) 71 76, A Bernadet (Fra) 73 74, L Bond (Wal) 72 75, A Shah (Ken) 74 73, S Wakefield (Eng) 76 71, N Ngugi (Ken) 72 75, S Muthugia (am) (Ken) 79 68, Z Scotland (Eng) 72 75,
148 M Carlsson (Swe) 76 72, K Timbe (Ken) 73 75, L Goddard (Eng) 71 77, K Sullivan (Wal) 73 75, D Odhiambo (Ken) 75 73, P Njagi (Ken) 76 72, C Smith (Wal) 72 76, A Shah (Ken) 75 73,
149 M Rominger (Sui) 74 75, C Godfrey (Ngr) 76 73, A Wagner (Arg) 74 75, T Haylock (Eng) 76 73, J Kagiri (Ken) 74 75,
150 R Kind (Ned) 77 73, J Lorum (Ken) 77 73, J Nawanga (Nam) 69 81, S Ottosen (Den) 77 73, P Kaensche (Nor) 74 76, M Vinaccia (Ken) 76 74, R Charania (Ken) 77 73, D Wakhu (Ken) 72 78, G Molteni (Ita) 72 78, I Van Weerelt (Ned) 71 79, C Omondi (am) (Ken) 77 73,
151 E Umoh (Ngr) 78 73, F Chitengwa (Zim) 80 71, B Njoroge (Ken) 79 72, N Kearney (Irl) 74 77, P Thuo (Ken) 72 79, B Simwa (am) (Ken) 78 73,
152 J Okello (Ken) 79 73, D Akope (Uga) 79 73, F Kamau (Ken) 75 77, J Kiondo (Ken) 75 77,
153 T Stewart (Aus) 74 79, N Brennan (Zam) 82 71,
155 S Andersen (am) (Ken) 81 74,
156 G Giddie (am) (Ken) 77 79,
158 E Ruterana (Rwa) 75 83,
164 M Chiluba (Zam) 83 81,
Disqualified: C Thethy (Ken) 80 DQ.