Kiambu Golf Club’s Michael Karanga had a second round of 2 under par 70 to lie joint
second with South Africa’s Bryan Newman on 6 under par 138 at the halfway mark of
the Africa Women’s Invitational Championship at the par 72 Leopard Creek Country
Club course in Malelane, South Africa, on Thursday.
Karanga, whose World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) of 54 is the highest at the
tournament, had birdies at the par 5 second and the par 4 ninth and bogeys at the par 4
third and par 4 sixth for a score of 35 at the turn.
He followed this with birdies at the tenth, thirteenth, and sixteenth holes with a bogey at
the twelfth to cut the back nine score to 35 for a total of 2 under par 70 for a total of 6
under 138.
“I’m very happy with my performance today and over the last two rounds. I’m still in.
contention,” said Karanga.
“I shot four-under and two-under today. My target is to go even lower tomorrow and try
and shoot six-under. In the days I’ve played from the practice round up to now, I’ve
learnt something on the golf course. As I said yesterday, just keep the ball in play and
you can score.”
South African Roelof Craig had the day’s best score of 4 under par 68 to move to the
top of the leaderboard with a total of 8 under par 136.
Craig carded five birdies and a bogey at the par 4 seventeenth in the second round leads a field of 41 golfers into
Friday’s moving day.
“It was a very good, solid round today; I didn’t really make mistakes,” said Craig.
“The highlights of the round are probably the birdie on the 11th, which got me going, and
Then I had a great up and down on the 13th. I actually had a terrible tee shot on the 18th.
and somehow made a great birdie. Yeah, it gives me a lot of confidence. I definitely
I think I can win this.”
Newman, who is joint second, had a birdie and two bogeys in the front nine, followed by a
bogey that was cancelled out by five birdies in the back nine for a score of 3 under par
69 for the second round.
Among the 41 golfers playing the final two rounds on Friday and Saturday are Kenyans
Adel Taufiq Balala, John Lejirma, John Kamaisi, Dennis Maara, and Elvis Muigua
Gatuhi.
The winner of the Africa Amateur Championship will earn exemptions into the 153rd
Open at Royal Portrush, the Amateur Championship, the Alfred Dunhill Championship,
The Investec South African Open and the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions
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