Nacho Elvira leads by one in Kenya after late fireworks

Nacho Elvira produced a magnificent birdie-birdie-eagle finish to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the 2023 Magical Kenya Open.

Afternoon starter Elvira recovered from an early bogey with three birdies around the turn before his late fireworks saw the Spaniard reach 10-under and overtake Nick Bachem, Jayden Schaper and Ryo Hisatsune at the top of the leaderboard.

Japan’s Hisatsune had set the early clubhouse target at nine-under in the morning, carding 10 birdies and two bogeys in his 63 — the lowest round of the week so far.

He was then joined at the summit in the afternoon, with German Bachem making four birdies and no bogeys in his 67 and South African Schaper signing for a 65 after following up seven birdies with a closing bogey.

American John Catlin, Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura and Spain’s Borja Virto were in a tie for fifth on eight-under.