Connor Syme shares lead as tartan trio sit in top ten in Kenya Open

Eagle at last set up by just a wedge after couple of scrambles kept momentum going

Connor Syme eagled the last to share the halfway lead in the Magical Kenya Open and has two of his compatriots, Ewen Ferguson and Craig Howie, for company in the top ten after a strong couple of days for the Caledonian contingent in Nairobi.

Helped by his grandstand finish – he only had a wedge for his second shot at the 534-yard 18th and knocked it to around five feet – at Muthaiga Golf Club, Syme added a 68 to his opening 67 to sit on seven-under-par alongside Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen and Dutchman Darius Van Driel.

“Yeah, pretty pleased,” said Syme, who is playing in this tournament for a sixth time, of his day’s work, having mixed three birdies with two bogeys in his opening seven holes then reeling off ten straight pars before that sweet sign off. “Didn’t putt as well as I did yesterday and I actually felt I played a little bit better, but it was nice to get a bonus with an eagle up the last to cap off a solid round of golf. I scrambled when I needed to as well, including a couple up and downs on the back nine where it kept the momentum going to give me the opportunity to do that on the last.”

Connor Syme plays his second shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Magical Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

The distance he was left with for his second shot was influenced by the altitude, but it was executed beautifully by the 28-year-old, who finished third in this event event three years ago. “It was a little bit off a full one,” admitted Syme. “I was right in between and pitching wedge and a gap wedge and just took a little bit off a gap wedge and it came out perfect and I managed to roll it in for a 3.”

Ferguson, who led going into the final round two years ago before having to settle for a tie for eighth, sits one off the lead after signing for a 67 that contained six birdies while Howie is a further shot back after his 69. “It’s a difficult golf course,” declared Ferguson as he reflected on his effort. “It’s so tight and you feel kind of scared out there to commit to shots as there are trees everywhere and the greens are very small. On my front nine, I managed to plot my ball around well and hole a few key putts which kept the momentum going. The heart rate steadied a bit after that and I managed to put a good round together.”

On being back in the mix in this event, the two-time DP World Tour winner added: “It’s just golf. You try your best, going through all your routines. Sometimes it’s there; sometimes it’s not. You need a little break here and there as well and hopefully I get a few breaks this weekend.”

Howie, who has spent the last three weeks playing on the Challenge Tour in South Africa, shared the lead after moving to seven under through 12 holes before dropping two shots over the closing stretch. “Yeah, happy enough,” said the Peebles man, who finished just outside the top ten last year in one of just five starts on the DP World Tour during the 2023 campaign. “I had a fast start, which was good. I had a really good front nine, just a little disappointed to play the last six holes in two over - that was a bit frustrating.”