GREG SNOW TAKES A NARROW LEAD AT ON GOING SAFARI TOUR EVENT AT VET LAB AS PLAYERS COMPLAIN OF TOUGH PIN POSITIONS
Greg Snow in action at Vet Lab today.
By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow went up by one shot on day two of the Safari Tour Season Four, second leg at the long playing and tough par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course on Monday where 24 players made the eight over par cut.
Snow who missed the first leg at Sigona last week because of shoulder injury, shot two under par 70 for a level par 144 having shot two over par 74 in the first round on Sunday. Just like the rest of the players, Snow said the course setting as tough.
He made an early birdie on the second hole, but bogeyed the 380‐yard par four which had the most difficult pin position where only a handful of players were able to make par leave alone birdies. Snow, however, made a good recovery by firing in three back to back birdies from the fifth to seventh to carry to the back nine a two under par score.
There he made one birdie at the 12th, and a single bogey at the 17th with seven pars giving him a level par back nine and a chance to now charge for the top prize of Sh230,000. On the other hand, round one leader Tafara Mpofu from Zimbabwe shot four over par 76 to drop to second place where he tied with compatriot Robson Chinhoi on one over par 145 for the two rounds.
The 24 year old Mpofu had a disastrous first nine where he dropped three shots in a row including the fourth, and only managed to recover one shot at just before the turn to the back nine which he started it with a bogey and closed it with a double bogey six at the par four‐18th.
Chinhoi on the other hand made a birdie on the notorious fourth after bogeying second and third, then birdied the sixth and seventh, but picked up a five at the par four‐seventh. “My game is basically good am happy with the way I am playing despite the course being long and with very difficult pin positions. I look forward for a better performance in the last two round” said Chinhoi who birdied the 14th and 15th but double‐bogeyed the 17th hole.
But Muthaiga’s 20 year old Mutahi Kibugu left Vet Lab the happiest after making his first pro cut in his second event after turning pro three weeks ago.
“I started badly just like in the first event at Sigona, but I am happy I was able to roll in a number of puts for one over par in the second round which made me make the cut. It’s difficult to adjust to the pro ranks but I am working on my mentally concentration and try and focus on my game more” said Kibugu who said he would to play in all the events then travel to Europe to gain more exposure.
A number of the leading pros however failed to go through to the remaining round and they will now have to start focusing on the third leg at the magnificent Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha next week.
Those who missed cut include Samuel Njoroge and Alfred Nandwa of Railway, John Wangai of Sigona, Jastas Madoya from the Great Rift Valley, and home player Nelson Simwa as well as Uganda’s Deo Akope, Philip Kasozi and Abbey Bagalana.
The Leader Board after Day Two:
1. Greg Snow 144 (74, 70)
2. Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 145 (71, 74)
Tafara Mpofu (Zim) 145 (69, 76)
4. Simon Ngige 146 (74, 72)
5. Mathew Omondi 147 (73, 74)
6. Mike Kisia 148 (74, 74)
7. Mohit Mediratta 149 (78, 71)
8. Eric Ooko 149 (79, 70)