Third time's a charm as Wafula makes European Ladies Tour cut

Naomi Wafula has become the first Kenyan to make the cut at a Ladies European Tour event after returning a score of 3-over par, 76, in Round Two of the 2023 Magical Kenya Ladies Open.

Her second day results take her gross score to 9-over par, 155, earning her a commendable slot to play through the weekend for a stake of the 300,000 Euros prize fund.

This is the third appearance for Wafula, Kenya’s top female amateur and Vipingo Ridge’s PGA Academy star student, at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open having failed to make the cut in 2019 and 2022.

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She finished her round at around lunchtime today, had to endure an agonising wait as the cut line oscillated between +8 and +10, before finally settling at +9, as the round drew to a close.

"I played much better in the sexond round than I did in round one. Playing with the current leader Aditi really helped and I enjoyed the experience.

I was hitting the ball much further today. It was great to see as I have been working at this skill since I came to train here at Vipingo Ridge," Wafula said. 

Round one leader Aditi Ashok maintained her rich vein of form as she carded 3-under par score, 70, to take her total to 9-under par, and hold a 5-stroke lead ahead of the third round.

“I was not hitting the ball as well as I did yesterday, so I was not getting those close putts for birdie. It was, however, good that I could get around with only one bogey today.

I will try to get back to the first round's momentum going into the weekend, hitting it closer to the pin and getting more short birdie putts," Ashok said. 

Sweden’s Elin Arvidsson returned the best score of the round, 6-under par, 67, courtesy of 8 birdies, six on the front nine at holes number 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9.

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A total of 63 players made the cut and will now play through the weekend for a stake of the 300,000 Euros prize fund. 

Among them is two-time Magical Kenya Ladies Open winner Esther Henseleit, who is currently tied seventh, eight strokes behind the leader and  April Angurasaranee (2), Martha Sanz Barrio (3) and Alice Hewson (T4).

Kenya’s Chanelle Wangari, who was also set to make the cut, saw her hopes drowned out on the par-5 7th, after hitting a tee shot into a nearby swimming pool. 

She went on to record a 4-over score, and eventually finish on a 12-over par score after two rounds.

The other three Kenyans, Mercy Nyanchama, Jacqueline Walter, and Nancy Wairimu, finished with scores of +20,+21, +22 to finish in 94th, 95th and 96th respectively.

Round three action tees off at 9:45 am, with Laura Fuenfstueck of Germany and Lucie Malchirand of France first on the tee. Wafula will start her round with the second group at 9:56 am.