By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow continued with his fine form as he posted a 2-under par 70 score on the final day of the Sigona Golf Club leg of the 2019/2020 Safari Tour Golf Series to take his tournament total to 8-under par 280; four shots clear of his nearest challenger and in the process emerged the winner of the Sigona event.

He carded a first nine total of 35 having holed a birdie at the par-4 second, and an eagle three at the ninth; enough to cancel out bogeys at the par-5 fourth and the par-4 eighth. On the back nine, he got off to a birdie at the challenging par-5 10th before picking a bogey at the par-3 14^th. He followed it up with a birdie at the par-5 15^th to card a back nine total of 35.

The outstanding performance at Sigona saw Snow make history as the first player to record a hat-trick of consecutive Safari Tour wins (Muthaiga, Thika Greens and Sigona); leaving him in a league of his own as the only golfer to record four Safari Tour victories in a season.

Snow now leads the Road to the 2020 Kenya Open ranking with 350 points, having dislodged Dismas Indiza (347 points), and says that he has no intention of letting go of the top position.

“My goal is to win the order of merit like I did last year. There are still two more events to go, being at the top feels good staying up there is a different story all together. I am pleased though that’s where I intend to stay. I am therefore looking forward to the next two events, and I have got to keep doing what I am doing by staying focused,” he said after being crowned Sigona Golf Club champion.

He said that he was happy with his performance at the event, adding that the wet conditions played to his strengths.

“I am satisfied with my performance this week as my game is heading in the right direction. My length off the tee in the wet conditions gave me an advantage as I knew if I drove the ball well off the tee, scoring was not going to be an issue,” he said.

With this victory, Snow banks KShs 150,000 in prize money.

Zimbabwean, Robson Chinhoi, finished four shots behind Snow having posted an impressive 2-under par 70 score to take his total for the tournament to 4-under par 284. His performance at this event marks his best outing at this season of the Safari Tour; having only played in four events, and his highest finish being fourth at the Great Rift Valley and Golf Resort outing.

He had a tricky first nine; carding a total of 37 courtesy of a double-bogey at the par-5 fourth and having only made a lone birdie at the par-4 seventh. The back nine proved more responsive, where he played blemish-free and picked up birdies at the 10^th, 14^th and 15^th to card a total of 33. For his stellar outing, he took home KShs 100,000.

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Erick Ooko completed the podium places having played a 2-over par 74 round to take his total for the event to 1-over par 289; taking home KShs 56,000. Windor’s Riz Charania finished in solitary fourth while John Karicu and Simon Ngige ended their campaign tied in fifth.

Mutahi Kibugu, who was the only amateur to make the cut at the event, took home the Silver Salver, having finished tied in ninth alongside Tony Omuli.

After nine events this season, Greg Snow, Dismas Indiza, Simon Ngige, Erick Ooko, Riz Charania, David Wakhu, Kopan Timbe and Tony Omuli occupy the top eight slots Kenya Open qualification slots reserved for local players.

The Safari Tour is back in action at the Kitante Open in Uganda from the 12^th to 15^th of February 2020 for the penultimate event on the calendar.

 

Additional Information:

Safari Tour Calendar 2019/20

Event 1 Nyali Golf and Country Club: 24th – 28th August 2019 (Winner: Greg Snow)

Event 2 Uganda Open:10th – 14th Sept 2019 (Winner: Madalitso Muthiya)

Event 3 Royal Nairobi Golf Club: 12th – 16th October 2019 (Winner: Tony Omuli)

Event 4 Entebbe Open (Entebbe Golf Club): 30th Oct – 2nd Nov 2019 (Winner: Jastas Madoya)

Event 5 Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort Open: 6th – 9th Nov 2019 (Winner: Dismas Indiza)

Event 6 Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort: 23rd – 27th Nov2019 (Winner: Dismas Indiza)

Event 7 Thika Greens: 4th – 8th January 2020 (Winner: Greg Snow)

Event 8 Muthaiga Golf Club: 11th – 15th January 2020 (Winner: Greg Snow)

Event 9 Sigona Golf Club: 25th – 29th January 2020 (Winner: Greg Snow)

Event 10 Kitante Open (Uganda Golf Club): 12th – 15th February 2020

Event 11 Karen Country Club: 22nd -26th February 2020

2019 Magical Kenya Open, Karen Country Club, 12^th – 15^th March 2020.

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