Scot Craig Howie lit-up his closing two holes with birdies in finishing close to darkness on the opening day of the Magical Kenyan Open in Nairobi.
Howie, 28, was the very last to tee-off on day one in the Kenyan capital and after his birdie on 17th his group rushed down the final hole to get finished and with the Scot stepping-up, and without any time to study his putt, holing a great six-footer for birdie in his three-under 68.
It handed the Peebles-attached player the leading Scottish honours among 10 teeing-up, and inside the top-20 to be four behind the leading duo of South African Dylan Mostert and American John Catlin, who led the way by a shot with seven-under 64s in the bright but windy conditions on the host Muthaiga course.
Scot Craig Howis birdies his closing two holes on day one of the Magical Kenya OPen (Photo – DP World Tour)
Howie missed out last year in retaining his main DP World Tour card and has played four events this year, and each in South Africa, on the secondary Challenge Tour, and managing this week to secure a first start of the New Year on the main Tour.
Howie jumped to two-under with birdies at four and five but gave the shots back with back-to-back bogeys at his next two holes before a birdie on nine got him back into the red.
He pared the next seven holes ahead of the birdie at 17 and then in finding the par-5 18th green in three, Howie wasted little time with his great birdie putt.
Howie said: “I just wanted to get finished as it was getting dark, so I had this six-footer but no idea which way it would break and just hit it straight and it went in (smiling).
“It was just good to get finished but honestly, it had taken like two hours and 20 minutes top play seven holes and I was then fearing the worst that there was no chance we’d get finished today.
“So, to get the round completed is a great relief and it means a couple more hours in bed and not have to come back and finish my first round.
“I’ve had the four Challenge Tour events this year down in South Africa and making the cut in all four, so my game’s not that far away though it’s been like three good rounds and one bad one.
“Though I’m quite optimistic where my game is and I kept that going today, playing really well with the golf course playing firm and tough, while the wind was difficult even though the ball is going so far here at altitude.
“I was hitting so many good shots but none of my shots were going the right yardage so I need to figure out the yardages better or I am going to struggle”.
Four Scots in Connor Syme, Richie Ramsay, Ewen Ferguson and Grant Forrest signed for 70s and one fewer than Calum Hill, Bob MacIntyre and Sandy Scott.
MEANTIME …
David Drysdale ended his maiden round as a full Asian Tour member with a birdie in a score of a one-under 71 at the International Series Event Thailand, being played on the famed Black Mountain course to the south of Bangkok.
Drysdale had been waiting six weeks since securing his Asian card, and also in Thailand, to finally tee-up in his new challenge for the Scot who turns 48 on March 19.
‘Double-Ds’ effort left him seven shots off the lead in the $US 2m event, and the same prize purse as on offer in Kenya.
