Tim Sluiter leads in Kenya. Picture courtesy Chris OmolloGareth Shaw was frustrated to miss the cut by a shot in the Barclays Kenya Open in Nairobi.

The Lurgan man carded a two over 73 to finish on three over par as Dubliner Niall Kearney missed by five after a disappointing 77 at Karen Country Club.

“Very frustrated to MC by 1 in Kenya,” Shaw tweeted. “Game was better but didn’t get any breaks and the greens are very inconsistent. Pretty positive though overall.”

Tim Sluiter of the Netherlands fired a course record, six-under par 65 to move shot clear of Spain’s Jordi Garcia Pinto and George Murray of Scotland on eight under

“Obviously I’m delighted because it’s a tough course so to shoot six under is really good,” said Sluiter, who was twice successful in gaining a European Tour card via Qualifying School - in 2010 and 2011.

“I enjoy the course a lot and that helps me. Every shot off the tee is with a different club and you have to think your way around so I like that.

“I finished fifth in India so it’s been a really good start to the year. I didn’t get much practice done last week because of snow at home so I’m happy I didn’t lose my game at all.

“I really like the weather here and I’m staying with four other Dutch guys so it’s been really relaxed this week.”

Shaw picked up an early birdie at the 14th, his fifth, to get back to level par for the tournament after his opening 72 but bogeyed the par-five 16th and dropped another two shots coming home.

Kearney, who was playing on a sponsors invitation, made four birdies but also sprinkled in four bogeys and three double bogeys in a rollercoaster 77.

Having come agonisingly close to his maiden Challenge Tour victory at the Open de Lyon last year, Sluiter is hoping that a first title is on its way in Kenya.

“I’m very determined,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be this week but if I keep playing the way I have so far it might happen.”

Pinto almost equalled Sluiter’s remarkable round but he was nevertheless happy with his five under par 66 and the Spaniard revealed he had been given a little inside information on the Karen course ahead of this week.

“My coach Joan Anglada played here about 25 years ago when he was a European Tour player and he said the course was perfect for me,” said Pinto, who turned 23 on the opening day of the tournament. “It’s tricky but I like it.

“I played really well today from the very start. After the early birdies at the second and third I was very relaxed and just enjoyed the day.

“I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens, whereas yesterday I missed a lot of greens, so it was important to get those early birdies.”

One shot further back from Pinto and Murray was another Scotsman, Raymond Russell, who added a two under par 69 to his opening 67 to enter the weekend in fourth place.

Barclays Kenya Open - after 36 holes

134 T Sluiter (Ned) 69 65,

135 G Murray (Sco) 68 67, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 69 66,

136 R Russell (Sco) 67 69,

137 A Pavan (Ita) 70 67, D Law (Sco) 68 69,

138 P Archer (Eng) 69 69, J Senior (Eng) 72 66, T Hatton (Eng) 69 69, S Hutsby (Eng) 68 70, B Koepka (USA) 70 68, J Lima (Por) 70 68,

139 A Otaegui (Esp) 67 72, W Besseling (Ned) 69 70, M Crespi (Ita) 71 68, G Snow (Ken) 68 71,

140 D Odhiambo (Ken) 71 69, D Denison (Eng) 71 69, J Barnes (Eng) 71 69, D Im (USA) 71 69, T Fournier (Fra) 72 68, P Uihlein (USA) 69 71, C Brazillier (Fra) 69 71, E Dubois (Fra) 71 69, P Oriol (Esp) 70 70,

141 M Ford (Eng) 68 73, A McArthur (Sco) 68 73, D Frittelli (RSA) 71 70, B An (Kor) 69 72, J Legarrea (Esp) 72 69, G Stal (Fra) 70 71,

142 J Ruth (Eng) 71 71, H Bacher (Aut) 66 76, B Hebert (Fra) 70 72, S Tiley (Eng) 74 68, N Floren (Swe) 73 69, D Kemmer (USA) 70 72, F Colombo (Ita) 73 69, C Hanson (Eng) 75 67, L Bjerregaard (Den) 70 72, W Booth (Sco) 75 67, A Velasco (Esp) 72 70, D Vancsik (Arg) 73 69,

143 K Timbe (Ken) 72 71, T Murray (Eng) 67 76, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 72 71, F Laporta (Ita) 77 66, J Dantorp (Swe) 74 69, V Riu (Fra) 71 72, C Aguilar (Esp) 71 72,

144 J Moul (Eng) 71 73, C Suneson (Esp) 74 70, R Enoch (Wal) 75 69, M Sell (Eng) 73 71, M Muthiya (Zam) 72 72, P Dwyer (Eng) 74 70, B Ritthammer (Ger) 73 71, B Njoroge (Ken) 73 71, J Fahrbring (Swe) 70 74, J Huldahl (Den) 71 73, N Ngugi (Ken) 70 74, D Griffiths (Eng) 75 69,

CUT

145 N Quintarelli (Ita) 76 69, T Nørret (Den) 71 74, A Bernadet (Fra) 73 72, D Indiza (Ken) 69 76, F Calmels (Fra) 77 68, L Kennedy (Eng) 74 71, A Rota (Ita) 75 70, G Shaw (Nir) 72 73, M Haastrup (Den) 74 71, M Glauert (Ger) 71 74, N Elvira (Esp) 74 71, M Zions (Aus) 75 70,

146 F Bergamaschi (Ita) 71 75, D Perrier (Fra) 75 71, S Walker (Eng) 72 74, M Mandhu (Zim) 71 75, S Engell Andersen (Ken) 73 73, C Gane (Eng) 75 71, J Howarth (Eng) 73 73, P Relecom (Bel) 71 75,

147 S Ngige (Ken) 75 72, J McLeary (Sco) 74 73, L Claverie (Esp) 75 72, J Timmis (Eng) 73 74, R Davies (Wal) 73 74, N Meitinger (Ger) 77 70, J Lando Casanova (Fra) 74 73, S Brown (Eng) 73 74, J Van Der Walt (RSA) 75 72, J Gibb (Eng) 70 77, A Domingo (Esp) 76 71, G Cambis (Fra) 78 69, J Maurer (Aut) 76 71, N Mudanyi (Ken) 71 76, C Ford (Eng) 74 73,

148 D Palm (Swe) 78 70, L Goddard (Eng) 75 73, P Thuo (Ken) 76 72, S O’Hara (Sco) 69 79, D Wakhu (Ken) 77 71, D Opati (Ken) 77 71, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 76 72, C Russo (Fra) 75 73, B Parker (Eng) 73 75,

149 L Saltman (Sco) 76 73, A Kimani (Ken) 78 71, N Kearney (Irl) 72 77, G Giddie (Ken) 74 75, F De Vries (Ned) 77 72, S Jeppesen (Swe) 72 77, N Simwa (am) (Ken) 74 75,

150 R Ainley (Ken) 77 73, H Kutwa (Ken) 80 70, S Manley (Wal) 72 78, D Wuensche (Ger) 73 77,

151 J Kagiri (Ken) 78 73, M Kramer (Ger) 76 75, D Stewart (Sco) 75 76, R Hjelm (Den) 73 78, N Ravano (Ita) 73 78, J Van Tonder (RSA) 71 80, G Houston (Wal) 76 75, F Kimani (am) (Ken) 75 76,

152 J Watts (Eng) 79 73, O Rozner (Fra) 77 75, K Borsheim (Nor) 76 76, A Shah (Ken) 71 81, A Horne (Swz) 75 77, R Charania (Ken) 76 76, D Akope (Uga) 74 78,

153 J Glennemo (Swe) 80 73, J Abbott (Eng) 78 75, B Simwa (Ken) 76 77, M Haremza (Ger) 79 74, T Omuli (am) (Ken) 79 74,

154 R Kellett (Sco) 78 76,

155 M Omondi (am) (Ken) 79 76,

156 A Perrino (Ita) 80 76, H Kadio (Tan) 77 79, Å Nilsson (Swe) 84 72, M Novy (Cze) 78 78, J Muigai (Ken) 75 81,

158 S Muthugia (Ken) 76 82, C Wangai (Ken) 76 82, K Abuto (Ken) 77 81,

159 E Ruterena (Rwa) 84 75,

162 J Madoya (am) (Ken) 80 82, J Sandhu (am) (Ken) 80 82,

163 H Mutawe (Uga) 83 80,

** J Okello (Ken) 80 RT, P Edberg (Swe) 71 RT, A Shah (Ken) 81 WD, M Haines (Eng) RT 0, N Rokoine (Ken) DQ 0,