RUTHLESS WAKHU NOW TAKES A FOUR SHOTS LEAD AT SAFARI TOUR GREAT RIFT VALLEY RESORT LEG
By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
Golf Park Golf Club’s David Wakhu finally moved to the top of the leader board going into Wednesday’s final round of the 2021 Safari Tour third leg at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha.
The consistent Wakhu, shot one under par 70, his second in tournament, for a three rounds total of four under par 209 to jump to the leader board ahead of Muthaiga’s Greg Snow and Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge who finished the day on level par total of 213 each.
“I decided to remain cool and play according to my plan which was to play at least four under par for the day. I missed a few chances but I am still happy with a two under par and since there is another day tomorrow, who knows! I could still play a lower score than today’’ said Wakhu who picked up the only bogey of the day after missing the greens. He then birdied the 13th and 14th holes.
Njoroge on the other hand, birdied the first, fourth and sixth, dropped two shots at the seventh and the tough par four‐ninth. He dropped an early shot at the back nine’s 11th, recovered two at the 13th and 14th missed a par narrowly at the par five‐17th but wound up the back nine with a birdie three at the par four‐18th for two under par 69 to tie for the second place with Snow who shot two over par 74 after a string of bogeys including a double at the notorious seventh which has proved tough for him since last year.
He had however picked up a birdie at the par three‐third, then he dropped a shot at the fourth and was lucky to escape with a bogey at the sixth after driving to the right bush where he lost a ball, then he over shot the green on the seventh to double the hole. At the back nine Snow made a birdie at the 14th and everything appeared fine until he missed a close one for a par at the 18th.
It was however a disastrous day for senior pro Dismas Indiza who picked up a seven at the par four‐ninth after over pitching the green, having three putted the seventh and eighth to cancel two early birdies at the fourth and sixth. He started the back nine well, with an early birdie coming at the 11th, though he dropped a shot at the 15th. It was however, an 11 at the par five‐17th where he was penalised two shots for using two caddies, having scored a nine. This saw him close the day on nine over par 80 to drop from third place to 13th place with eight over par 221. On the other hand, Malawi’s Paul Chidale shot two under par 69 for a total of one over par 214 in fourth place and still in with a good chance of string to the top in the closing round.
“I am improving by the day, and very happy in particular with my round today though I missed a few chances which denied me a lower round’’ said Chidale who picked a nine at the 17th after hitting his driver to the bush. He had earlier birdied the six, seven and eight, and at the 10th, 13th and 16th.
The final round gets under way from 8.30am followed by the prize giving ceremony at 2.30pm.
The Leader board after Round Three:
David Wakhu 69, 70, 70= 209
Samuel Njoroge 70, 74, 69= 213
Greg Snow 66, 73, 74= 213
Paul Chidale (Maw) 70, 75, 69=214
Justus Madoya 70, 76, 69= 215
Andrew Odoh (Nig) 72, 73, 71= 216
Tafara Mpofu (Zim) 70, 74, 73= 217
Mathew Wahome 71, 76. 71= 218
Ganeev Giddie 73 73, 72= 218
Sydney Wemba (Zam) 70, 76, 72= 218