Kearney best of the Irish as Ferguson takes control in Kenya
Ewen Ferguson. Picture: Getty Images
Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson opened up a four-shot lead heading into the final round of the Magical Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Club.
Chasing his maiden win, the Scot (25) card a five-under 66 to lead on 11-under par from Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult and India’s Shubhankar Sharma.
Niall Kearney is the best of the Irish, tied for 39th on three-under after a 69 with Paul Dunne 60th on level after a 71.
Jonathan Caldwell shot 72 to lie a shot further back with Cormac Sharvin seven-over after a 78.
The scorching conditions favoured the early starters in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and a plethora of players made big charges towards the top of the leaderboard in the morning, not least Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult and China’s Wu Ashun who carded rounds of 64 and 66, respectively, to share second spot on ten under.
It was Ferguson who held his nerve at the top, in the firm and hot afternoon conditions, having entered the weekend one shot off the lead. He opened with a birdie before an eagle three at the fourth launched him two clear of the field, and a bogey-free back nine helped him to a five under 66 and a 14 under leading total.
Should he convert for a first professional win, Ferguson would be the first Scottish, and British, winner in the DP World Tour era while it would also make it six winners from six different countries since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.
Kinhult and Wu – both winners already on the Tour - sit four shots back while Spanish duo Jorge Campillo and Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez, Englishman David Horsey and Germany’s Matthi Schmid all share fourth place on nine under par.
