After an excellent approach shot, Njoroge Kibugu was sitting under 10 feet away from the cup on the par-5 18th hole. He walked up to the green ready to take his third stroke. It wasn’t an easy putt, not because of the challenging lie, but because this was his last opportunity to make the cut. He needed a birdie to play the weekend; anything worse would have led to an exit. And much to the crowd’s excitement, the 22-year-old sank the putt for an eagle instead to rise up the table.

As NUCLR GOLF tweeted, “🚨🦅🇰🇪 #WATCH — Needing an eagle on 18… 22-year-old Njoroge Kibugu drains the putt to make the cut at his National Open. 👏.”

This is only his sixth appearance on the DP World Tour. Before this, he had only made the cut once. That too came four years ago in 2022. In fact, it was in the same event he is playing this year, the Magical Kenya Open presented by absa.

Based on the leaderboard, he was one away from the projected cutline of 4-under par. With an opportunity to score an eagle, Kibugu didn’t make a mistake while taking his 5-foot putt. That helped him jump into the top-40s of the leaderboard.

As he sank his putt, he was met with a loud cheer from the crowd. Everyone standing around the 18th hole screamed loudly to celebrate his excellent round. Kibugu also punched the air before proceeding to embrace his caddie and fellow pros in his group.

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It wasn’t only the fans on the course who acknowledged his excellent strokes. The netizens also joined the celebrations to congratulate him on the excellent play.

The internet celebrates Njoroge Kibugu’s brilliant putt to get into the weekend rounds

Going into the last hole wouldn’t have been easy for Njoroge Kibugu. Especially since the cutline was not finalized, and he was still sitting outside it. So his efforts to not only finish inside it, but get into a safe position deserve every compliment he receives.

As one fan wrote, “He only needed a birdie but finished in style.” Another also pointed out how “Birdie was needed…”

He indeed needed only a birdie to make the cut based on the projected line. However, an eagle not only qualified him for the weekend rounds but also pushed him closer to the top of the leaderboard. Granted that covering a eight stroke deficit might be a challenge. But he will have more confidence to push for it after ending the Friday round on an eagle.

Encouraging him to raise the stakes in the remaining rounds, someone wrote, “What a wonderful moment! Now chase down the field, nothing to lose now!”

The best finish Kibugu has gotten in the DP World Tour is a solo 64th in the 2022 Magical Kenya Open. He was still an amateur golfer back then. The 22-year-old is already in a better position at T42 after two rounds. If he maintains his excellent run through to Sunday, then he might be able to finish close to the top of the leaderboard.

Speaking of the entire play to set up the stroke, a comment read, “Incredible tee shot to set up an eagle 😍🔥. The weekend here we come.”

He did hit an excellent tee shot to find the finer cuts of the fairway. However, his approach shot is what impressed everyone the most. The DP World Tour account also shared a clip of the same on their social media with a caption, “Needing a birdie on the last hole to make the cut in front of his adoring home fans, Njoroge Kibugu does THIS to set up an eagle!”

Lastly, complimenting the great conclusion to the round, someone commented, “WHAT A BEAUTY! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽.”

Kibugu remained calm until the end, and that showed in the accuracy of his putt. His ball rolled into the center of the cup instead of tipping in from the side. That’s what made it a beautiful, precise conclusion to an excellent performance.