Jordi Garcia Pinto is chasing his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Barclays Kenya Open as the Girona man enters the weekend one shot off the lead, thanks to a five under par second round 66.
The Spaniard began the day three shots off the overnight lead held by HP Bacher but three birdies in the opening five holes gave him the perfect start at Karen Country Club, outside Nairobi.
A bogey at the seventh hole meant he reached the turn in two under before back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th were followed by a superb up and down for birdie at the 15th. While he dropped a shot at the 16th, he bounced straight back with a gained shot at 17 to move to tied second place on seven under par, alongside Scotland’s George Murray.
“I played really well today from the very start,” said Garcia Pinto, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on the opening day of this week’s tournament. “After the early birdies 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.”
Garcia Pinto, who sat his final exam for a law degree just three weeks ago, revealed he had been given a little inside information on the Karen course ahead of this week’s tournament.
“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,” he said. “It’s tricky but I like it. I was very calm and relaxed. “
Tim Sluiter, meanwhile, roared into the lead as a course-record six under par second round of 65 moved him a shot clear of the pack.
The 23 year old from the Netherlands was in imperious form at the sun-kissed venue as he carded six birdies and an eagle to take to the top on eight under par.
ENDS
Scores:
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.
* Photo credit © Getty Images
