WAKHU’S FAIRY TALE ENDS AFTER SEVERAL BOGEYS, HARDING CLOSES IN FOR BACK-TO-BACK ACCOLADE AFTER TAKING THREE SHOT LEAD
David Wakhu crosses a bridge with his cardie at Karen Club today.
By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
Fresh from winning the Kenya Open Golf Championship last week, South African Justin Harding seem to be headed for a double after he returned a third round score of five under par 66 for a combined round score of 17 under par 196 to go three shots clear of the crowded second place ahead of the final round of the inaugural Savannah Classic at Karen Club.
Starting the day on tied second at 12 under par, having shared the first round lead, Harding picked four birdies and dropped two shots in the front nine for 33 out and dropped one more shot in the back nine with four birdies for another 33 in an a combined score of 66 for the lead.
Harding had played an impressive 21 under par 263 last week to win the Magical Kenya Open for his second European Tour titles and needs just a round better in the final round today to clinch back-to-back titles of the European Tour at Karen.
Six golfers have shared second place at 14 under par 199 led by round two leader, South African Daniel Van Tonder, Scotland’s David Drysdale, five-time European Tour winner Darren Fichardt, England’s Marcus Armitage, 23-year old Kristoffer Reitan and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattanond.
The only Kenyan golfer who made cut at the Savannah Classic, David Wakhu had a less impressive day on the course as he picked three bogeys and a double-bogey in the back nine to card three over par 74 and a combined round score of five under par having began the day at eight under par.
This leaves him needing a miracle to win the tournament.
Justin Harding is congratulated by his cardie today.
Meanwhile, Sports Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohammed, said Kenya should continue hosting back-to-back European Tour golf events, spread across more venues across the country to give visiting players, and the world, a feel of the country’s diverse golf offering.
“What our request has been to the European Tour is not to make this a one-off: that we should continue having these back-to-back tournaments and hopefully we can even have three events and have them across the country so that we are not having all these tournaments here at Karen. We have beautiful golf courses across the country and I think that it would be wonderful for people to experience them,” she said.
She added: “It’s the first time that you have two championships back-to-back. We feel extremely privileged, and I think it gives us that badge of honor], but it also allows Kenya to be seen as a sporting destination. As you know, we have hosted very many sporting events and so having this additional tournament being held here just confirms that we are actually a sporting giant on the continent.”
She said this on the sidelines of the third round of the inaugural Kenya Savannah Classic which is ongoing at the Karen Country Club. The event follows last week’s Magical Kenya Open that concluded on Sunday.