MURRAY HAS THREE SHOTS TO MAKE UP ON FINAL DAY IN KENYA

CHALLENGE TOUR REPORT 

FROM NEIL AHERN, European Tour Press Officer

George Murray still harbours hopes of a first European Challenge 

Tour victory since 2010 despite staying stagnant on moving day 

at the Barclays Kenya Open with a level par 71.

That left the Anstruther man in tied third position alongside American 

Brooks Koepka and three shots off the lead set by Tim Sluiter and 

Jordi Garcia Pinto at Karen Country Club, outside Nairobi.

“I played pretty average today,” said Murray, whose sole victory on 

the Challenge Tour came at the Scottish Hydro Challenge three years 

ago.

“I just never really got going at all. I birdied the second and bogeyed 

the fourth with a wedge in my hand, which was poor. I hit a six iron 

into 12 foot at the fifth and holed that and then bogeyed the sixth with 

a nine iron in my hand.

“I hit it stiff at the tenth from 112 yards which was nice but I didn’t give myself any chances until the 15^th. I thought I had holed my 

bunker shot but it took an awful bounce and went eight feet past and 

I missed that putt.

“It was more stupidity than anything else today. It’s not done yet though. Hopefully I can go and shoot six or seven under tomorrow and maybe I’ll have a chance.

“If I stick to my game plan and putt well, it’s possible. If I try and be 

too aggressive tomorrow though it will definitely hurt me so I’ll just 

try and hit better approach shots in and give myself a few more 

chances.”

Three Scots were two shots further back on five under par as David 

Law (71), Andrew McArthur (67) and Raymond Russell (72) shared 

sixth spot with England’s Sam Hutsby.

Garcia Pinto and Sluiter, meanwhile, will put their friendship aside 

when they battle it out in the final group on Championship Sunday.

After a mammoth tussle on moving day, the Spaniard’s three under 

par 68 elevated him to the top alongside Sluiter of The Netherlands 

on ten under par, three shots clear of the chasing pack.

Sluiter, the overnight leader after the second round, managed to maintain his grip on the top spot thanks to a birdie at the last which helped him to a two under par 69.

It was only a spectacular monster putt which separated the two 

young stars - who have been friends since their youth - on day three 

as Garcia Pinto brought cheers of elation from the local crowds by rolling in a birdie putt at the par three 16^th from all of 60 feet.

THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 213 (3x71)

203 T Sluiter  (Ned) 69 65 69, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 69 66 68

206 B Koepka  (USA) 70 68 68, G Murray  (Sco) 68 67 71

207 A Otaegui  (Esp) 67 72 68

208 R Russell (Sco) 67 69 72, S Hutsby  (Eng) 68 70 70, A McArthur  (Sco) 68 73 67, D Law (Sco) 68 69 71

209 E Dubois (Fra) 71 69 69, C Brazillier  (Fra) 69 71 69, D Frittelli (RSA) 71 70 68

210 W Besseling  (Ned) 69 70 71, J Dantorp (Swe) 74 69 67, P Oriol (Esp) 70 70 70, B Ritthammer (Ger) 73 71 66, L Bjerregaard  (Den) 70 72 68, J Senior (Eng) 72 66 72, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 72 71 67

211 D Vancsik (Arg) 73 69 69, T Fournier  (Fra) 72 68 71, T Hatton (Eng) 69 69 73, M Crespi  (Ita) 71 68 72, D Odhiambo  (Ken) 71 69 71, J Lima  (Por) 70 68 73, F Laporta (Ita) 77 66 68, G Snow  (Ken) 68 71 72, N Floren (Swe) 73 69 69

212 S Tiley (Eng) 74 68 70, A Pavan (Ita) 70 67 75, J Legarrea (Esp) 72 69 71

213 C Aguilar  (Esp) 71 72 70, D Denison  (Eng) 71 69 73, H Bacher (Aut) 66 76 71, A Velasco (Esp) 72 70 71, W Booth  (Sco) 75 67 71, G Stal  (Fra) 70 71 72, D Kemmer (USA) 70 72 71

214 P Uihlein  (USA) 69 71 74, B An (Kor) 69 72 73, P Archer (Eng) 69 69 76, C Suneson (Esp) 74 70 70, M Sell  (Eng) 73 71 70, J Fahrbring (Swe) 70 74 70, D Griffiths  (Eng) 75 69 70, K Timbe  (Ken) 72 71 71

215 T Murray (Eng) 67 76 72, M Muthiya  (Zam) 72 72 71, J Moul  (Eng) 71 73 71, C Hanson (Eng) 75 67 73

216 J Barnes (Eng) 71 69 76, M Ford (Eng) 68 73 75, B Hebert  (Fra) 70 72 74

217 P Dwyer (Eng) 74 70 73, J Ruth  (Eng) 71 71 75, J Huldahl (Den) 71 73 73, F Colombo (Ita) 73 69 75, N Ngugi (Ken) 70 74 73, V Riu  (Fra) 71 72 74, R Enoch  (Wal) 75 69 73

218 B Njoroge  (Ken) 73 71 74, D Im (USA) 71 69 78

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS