Du Plessis surges clear in Kenya

South Africa’s Hennie du Plessis will take an almost unassailable lead into the final round of the prestigious Kenya Junior Championship on Thursday.

The 16-year-old Polokwane golfer shared the 36-hole lead with the country’s number one ranked amateur and defending champion, Daniel Nduva, but pulled well clear of the chasing pack with a third successive 70 at the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.

Du Plessis tops the leaderboard at three-under-par 210 and will start the final round nine shots clear of Nduva, after the Nyali golfer posted a third round 79.

Kenya’s Daniel Buguma improved on earlier rounds of 79 and 74 with a 72 to move into third on his own on 23-over-par 225.

Du Plessis teed off in the prestigious junior championship on the back of a strong run in two junior and one open amateur championships in South Africa this July.

The country’s number two ranked junior finished second at the Nomads SA Boys U-17 Stroke Play Championship at Mount Edgecombe and tied for second in the Nomads Order of Merit (NOoM) event played over all three courses at Fancourt, followed with a tie for fourth Limpopo Open at Polokwane Golf Club.

The Kenya Junior Championship, sponsored by Crown Paints Kenya, is a world amateur golf ranking event endorsed by the R&A and USGA.