SIBLING RIVALRY AS NJOROGE TIES WITH ELDER BROTHER WANJAU AND ZIMBABWE’S CHINHOI AFTER THRID ROUND OF SAFARI TOUR AT ROYAL

Kenya Golf Guide

Samuel Njoroge follows his tee shot at Royal Nairobi Club today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

When Railways’ Samuel Njoroge tees off at 8.40 am tomorrow morning at Royal Nairobi, he will be hoping for a round of golf better than the other 24 competitors in the final round of the Safari Tour series’ second leg so as to lift his maiden title in the Tour.

Njoroge, who is barely a month into playing as a professional, returned a score of three under par 69 in the third round to go tied top with a combined score of four under par 212. He leveled the field in the first round and played one under par on the second day to make cut tied second.

“I missed the title in the first leg by one shot but i am hoping to play well in the final round at Royal to maintain first place. I returned a better score in the third round after improving on my putting. I am putting well now, the course is also good and I am happy with my game,”said Njoporoge after the third round.

The 26 year old who won the Golfer of the year amateur title two years ago before turning professional this year, will tee off in the last group alongside his elder brother Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) captain John Wangai and Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi with whom they are tied with in top place.

Chinhoi made four straight birdies at the back nine of the third round, to share the lead with Njoroge, after closing the round on a three under par 69. The Zimbabwean had carried a one over par score from the front nine where he hit three back to back bogeys from the fifth to the seventh holes but a better back nine game saved the day for him.

“I made many wrong decisions in the first nine and it almost cost me a good round. I had started well picking up two birdies at the first and second holes, then pushed my tee-shot to the right at the fifth hole, came out well but missed the par. I hit my eighth iron to the bunker at the par three-sixth, came out with two to drop my second shot,” he said.

He started the back nine with a birdie after a solid driver to about 70m to the green, dropped a shot at the 12th, but made birdies at the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th to push himself to the top of the leader-board and share the lead the new-comer Njoroge.

“This course is very easy to make birdies if one makes the right decision and is at the right place all the time. Winning here will give me the confidence I need for the season and particularly after missing the first leg at Limuru” added Chinhoi.
Wangai meanwhile made five birdies but against a similar number of bogeys, to close day three on level par 72 and in third position on level par 216.
Round two leaders Eric Ooko and Greg Snow dropped to joint fourth with Kenya’s leading junior amateur Mutahi Kibugu of Muthaiga Golf Club on one over par 217.

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