By DONALD WELLINGTON

Spanish golfer Jordi Garcia Pinto is this year’s Barclays Kenya Open Golf champion after finishing the final round on a total of 12 under par 272, to beat his friend cum rival Tim Sluiter by a single shot at the par 71 Karen Golf and Country Club.

The win earned the 23-year old player Sh3.6million (30, 400 Euros) for the feat and he vowed to defend his title during next year’s tournament. Sluiter who settled for the runner-up prize went home with Sh2.5 million (21, 450 Euros) on a total of 11 under par 273.

President Mwai Kibaki who is also the patron of Kenya Golf Union (KGU) arrived at the club at around 12pm and started following the overnight leaders from the 13^th hole.

Greg Snow finished as the best placed Kenyan tied 34^th overall on two over par 284 and pocket Sh159, 705 (1, 365 Euros).

The ninth hole provided some real drama for the final group as Pinto edged into the lead on 11 under par, one shot clear of his playing partner Sluiter.

With the two players tied for the lead on 11 under, the Spaniard’s wayward tee shot at the ninth appeared to hand the advantage to Sluiter, who had found the fairway with his tee shot.

The Dutchman, however, attacked the pin and his approach dropped in the greenside bunker with the tricky pin position hugging the nearside of the green.

Garcia Pinto chipped out of the heavy rough to the fairway and produced a masterful piece of skill to roll his chip one foot from the hole, just shy of an incredible birdie, before tapping in for par.

Sluiter, faced with an extremely difficult third shot, could not get out of the bunker with his first attempt and while his second from the sand fell seven feet short, he rolled in the bogey putt to leave the gap at just one shot entering the back nine.

While José-Filipe Lima equalled the course record 65 set by Sluiter earlier in the week to move to eight under par, Brooks Koepka looked the most likely to challenge the top two as he reached the turn in one under for the day and eight under for the tournament, three shots back.

In the second nine, Pinto who was with Karen caddie Wyclife Kadenge, picked a shot on the par four 12^th, sunk an eagle on the five 15^th and dropped shots in holes 16 and 17. maillot de foot maillot de foot

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