Chase for Safari Tour points heats up as Kenya Open beckons

The fifth leg of the Magical Kenya Open golf tournament qualifying series, the Safari Tour, came to a close at Sigona Golf Club on Wednesday 18 January with Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi taking top honours. 

As golfers prepare for the penultimate round of the series set for Karen Country Club from 4 to 8 February, the Kenyan pros have their work cut out as they look to bag points that would see them play in the European Tour round. 

In Sigona, Chinhoi carded five under par 283 after four rounds of 70, 70, 74 and 69 to beat Kenyan amateur golfer Mutahi Kibugu to top place as the youngster returned a one under par 287 aggregate score ( 73, 73, 64, 77). 

Tied in second place was the top placed Kenyan on the Safari Tour log, Muthaiga's Greg Snow who carded one under par in the opening two rounds but had a disastrous third round where he dropped six shots for six over par 78 before playing the best round on the final day for five under par 67 and an aggregate of 287. 

Isaiah Omwoyo (291), Mohit Mediratta (292) and John Wangai (292) completed the top five performances at Sigona. 

"I had a better final round compared to my third. On the third round I couldn’t chip or Pitt and my tee shots were a bit slow. 

I am happy for the win as it helps me cement my place at the Kenya Open. I am leading on the Safari Tour order of merit and I only hope to perform well in the last two legs as they will prepare me for the Open," Chinhoi offered. 

The Zimbabwean headlines the Safari Tour log at 200.5 points, having scored in all four. He picked 75 points at the Tusker MaltLager Uganda Open, 44 at Limuru, 31.5 at Vipingo and 50 for the win in Sigona. 

Snow comes in second at 160 points from three of the four legs as he did not score points in Limuru. 

Chinhoi's countryman Nyasha Muyambo is third on 143 points, missing out on points at Sigona while Simon Ngige and Uganda's Ronald Rugumayo complete the top five at 141 and 140 points respectively. 

Zimbabwe’s Victor Mapwanya, Samuel Njoroge, Dismas Indiza, Kibugu and Edwin Mudanya are in the top ten positions in that order.