A hole-in-one from Kenya’s Naom Wafula provided the defining highlight of the second round at the SportsBiz Africa Golf Championship in Kigali, while home favourite Celestin Nsanzuwera thrilled the crowd with a commanding nine-under-par 63 to seize control of the tournament.

Wafula’s ace came on the uphill second hole at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, a shot she initially thought had fallen short before a caddie confirmed it had dropped straight into the cup.

The moment lifted her confidence and helped her to a four-under-par 68, taking her two-round total to 145 and securing a spot among the top 30 players who will contest the final round.

She said her mindset on the day was to enjoy her golf without pressure, and the hole-in-one gave her the belief to keep playing strongly.

“Today was a great round. I came in with the mentality to just enjoy myself and not put too much pressure. On hole two, I hit my iron, but from the tee I thought it was short. Since the green is uphill, we couldn’t see where it landed. When we got up there, I thought the ball had rolled over the slope, but one of the caddies said a ball had dropped in,” Wafula said.

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"When we checked, it was mine, it was a hole-in-one! I was super happy, but my caddie calmed me down and reminded me that I still had a lot of golf to play. That confidence carried me through the round."

For the home supporters, however, the loudest cheers came for Celestin Nsanzuwera, who surged into a seven-shot lead thanks to nine birdies and an eagle. His two-day aggregate of 131 put him 13-under-par, comfortably clear of the field.

He explained that staying calm, starting strongly, and using his course knowledge were key to his remarkable performance.

“It was an amazing round today. Unlike yesterday, I didn’t feel much pressure, and that helped me stay calm. Starting with back-to-back birdies and then an eagle on the third gave me so much confidence. I told myself to just keep going up and up. I had 23 putts all round and hit every fairway. Being my home course, I used that knowledge to my advantage. Tomorrow the plan is the same; play the fairways, trust my putts, and stay focused,” Nsanzuwera said.

Two players share second place on six-under-par 138: South Africa’s Travis Procter and DP World Tour winner Haydn Porteous. Procter signed for a 69 after four birdies, though he admitted his putting let him down after a promising start.

“I hit the ball much like yesterday, really solid. The back nine was a bit of a struggle with the putter going cold, but overall I’m happy. To be at six-under feels like the worst I could be playing this well. Tomorrow, I’ll go out looking for a better score,” Procter said.

Porteous, meanwhile, also carded a 69, his score built around birdies at the 4th, 6th, and 13th.

Among the Kenyans, Eric Ooko posted a 70 with four birdies offset by two bogeys, bringing him to five-under-par 139 and within striking distance of the leaders.

Fourteen other Kenyans also made the cut, including John Wangai, Jastas Madoya, Dismas Indiza, Mutahi Kibugu, Samuel Njoroge, Michael Karanga, John Lejirma, David Wakhu, Ken Abuto, Greg Snow, Daniel Nduva, Mohit Mediratta, Jacob Okello, and Njoroge Kibugu.

The cut was set at three-over-par 147, trimming the field to 30 golfers who will now battle for a Sh3.3 million prize pool. The event also offers Sunshine Development Tour points, Official World Golf Ranking points, and World Amateur Golf Ranking points.

The SportsBiz Africa Golf Championship is sponsored by SportsBiz Africa, East African Breweries through its Johnnie Walker brand, Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, and Pure Travel.