John Parry continued his love affair with Africa as he fired a flawless 63 to share the lead with Benjamin Hebert after the first round of the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa.
Englishman Parry made a blistering start to the 2025 season, finishing in a tie for second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in December before winning the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open a week later to top the Opening Swing standings and head into Christmas on a massive high.
And he rediscovered his very best form on his return to Africa, carding eight birdies and no bogeys at Muthaiga Golf Club on Thursday morning to set the clubhouse target at eight under par.
He was joined at the summit late in the afternoon by Frenchman Hebert after the 38-year-old made an eagle and six birdies in his spotless 63.
South Africa’s Jayden Schaper also kept the bogeys off the card in his opening 64 to sit alone in third.
Englishman Eddie Pepperell made a spectacular hole-in-one at the tricky par-three 11th, holing his tee-shot from 218 yards with a seven iron.
Starting from the 10th tee, Parry flew out of the blocks with back-to-back birdies before picking up further shots at the 13th, 15th and 18th to turn in 30 blows.
A sensational approach at the 3rd set up a tap-in birdie there and he rolled in from around 10 feet on the 4th to make it two in a row.
His four-foot birdie at the 7th saw Parry take advantage of all four of the course’s par fives on day one.
And the 38-year-old had a good chance to move further clear at the summit at the ninth – his closing hole – but his effort from the edge of the green slid just by.
“I hit it well. I kept it in play pretty well,” Parry said. “Even though I’ve had a bad few weeks in the Middle East, I haven’t panicked.
“Just keep doing the same things that worked last year and hopefully they’ll keep working for the rest of the year. I think if I keep doing that the results will come.”
Hebert started the day with an eagle on the par-five 10th before closing his front nine with back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th.
After making another pair of birdies on the 2nd and 3rd, he took dead aim at the 6th to set up a tap-in birdie and close to within one shot of the lead.
A closing birdie on the 9th then saw him pull alongside Parry at the top.
“I’m very pleased. Playing this course in the afternoon is very hard,” Hebert said. “The greens are hard, fairways very firm, so it’s hard to reach the area where you want to go.
“I’m very happy, it’s one of those days where everything went my way.
“Starting with an eagle on 10, it helps me to kick off the day well. The good feeling continued all day long.”
Photo: Luke Walker/Getty Images
