David Wakhu follows his tee shot during the latest Safari Tour Golf leg at Great Rift Valley Golf Resort on Monday.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Golf Park’s David Wakhu, shot one under par 70 in the second round of the Great Rift leg of the 2021 Safari Tour series, to tie with day one leader Greg Snow on three under par 139, at the par 71 Great Rift Valley Golf Resort course on Monday.

The strong wind however denied the players some low scores as was the case in the opening round where eight players shot under par scores. Wakhu however said his plan was to go easy to make sure that he makes the second round cut. “I have been overworking myself in the gym thus giving myself fatigue, but I will try and make more birdies in the remaining two rounds and see if I can improve on my sores’’ said Wakhu who said he saved many shots because of his putting.

“My putting today saved the day as the course was not easy while the wind was very challenging’’ added Wakhu who started off with a birdie at the first hole, dropped a shot at the fourth and sixth but birdied the 12th and 14th to eventually catch up with the Muthaiga player Snow who bogeyed eight holes against five birdies for the day’s two over par 73 and a two rounds total of 139.

Apparently Wakhu’s one under par was the only under score for the day, with a level par 71 by Jacob Okello, Nelson Mudanyi who both missed cut, and Rwanda’s Aloys Nsabimana being the second best.

Meanwhile senior pro Dismas Indiza shot one over par 72 to move to third place on 141. He, however, dropped five shots and it was only his two birdies and an eagle three which saved the day for him as a total of 20 players made it the six over par cut to proceed to the third and fourth rounds where the winner will take home Sh230,000 depending on how many under par scores he will be able to post.

In fourth place on one over par total of 143 after posting one over par 72 was Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige, with second leg winner Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe firing his second 72 to tie on 144 with Samuel Njoroge and another Zimbabwean Tafara Mpofu.

It was a tough outing for some of the leading players such as Sigona’s John Wangai, and Mohit Mediratta, Mike Kisia of Vet Lab, Uganda’s Abbey Bagalana, and Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi all of whom missed the cut this round will have to wait for the Coast circuit at Nyali Golf and Country Club and at the Leisure Lodge Golf and Beach Resort in Diani, Kwale County next week.

The Leader Board after Day Two at Great Rift:

David Wakhu 139 (69, 70)

Greg Snow 139 (66, 73)

Dismas Indiza 141 (69, 72)

Simon Ngige 143 (71, 72)

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 144 (72, 72)

Samuel Njoroge 144 (70, 74)

Tafara Mpofu (Zim) 144 (70, 74)

Frank Matilo 145 (72, 73)

Andrew Odoh (Nig) 145 (72, 73)

Paul Chidale (Maw) 145 (70, 75)

Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi poses with the winner’s trophy at Vet Lab today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi produced a two under par 70 in the final round of the second leg in the Safari Tour’s Season Four at the tough playing par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course on Wednesday where besides the winner’s trophy, the Zimbabwean also pocketed Sh308, 293.

It was however a slow start for the experienced Chinhoi who last season won three events in the tour, as he bogeyed the second and third holes. He however made the day’s first birdie at the par five‐fifth hole and added one more at the par three‐eighth to level the nine en-route to the back nine where he birdied the 12th and 15th for the day’s two under par and a tournament aggregate of five under 283.

“I am very happy winning here despite a tight final round where again I made a slow start by dropping two shots in the round. My game otherwise is very solid and I am looking forward for a good season’’ said Chinhoi, and added: “I just need to work on a few things on my game and try and player under par rounds’’.

Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi (right) is showered with beer by Kenya’s David Wakhu after he won the Safari Tour event at Vet Lab today.

He won by two shots from Sigona’s Mohit Mediratta, home pro Mike Kisia and round two leader Greg Snow. Mediratta who started the tournament with a poor 78 on Sunday, managed to overcome all that, and close the tournament with a fine four under par 68, a round that included six birdies and a bogey in each nine, for an aggregate of three under par 285 to tie for the second place with Kisia and Snow.

“Just to focus little a bit more on the game though it I was the first round that saw me play a recovery golf thereafter. Starting with a low round is definitely the best way to go, but I must thank my parents, Coaches and all my friends for giving me the support in real need this season’’ said Mediratta who lost his home opening leg in a playoff with amateur junior Taimur Malik and Edwin Mudanyi.

Snow on the other hand shot one under par 71, despite making four birdies in the closing round where he was engaged in a neck and neck battle with Chinhoi and Mike Kisia. “I started very well picking up an early birdie but I did not end the first nine well as I bogeyed both the eighth and ninth but the back nine was not too bad as I managed to make three birdies including at the 18th where I real wanted a two though I missed it narrowly, to pick up the birdie. I am looking forward for the third round at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort’’ said Snow who missed the opening leg at Sigona due to a shoulder injury.

This week’s tournament had attracted a field of 64 players though only 24 made the second round cut, to proceed to the last two rounds where besides winning money, they also scored some points towards the Safari Tour Order Of Merit.

The final leader board at Vet Lab:

1. Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 283 (71, 74, 68, 70)
2. Mohit Mediratta 285 (78, 71, 68, 68)

Mike Kisia 285 (74, 74, 66, 71)

Greg Snow 285 (74, 70, 70, 71)

5. Simon Ngige 287 (74, 72, 69, 72)
6. Tarafa Mpofu (Zim) 292 (69, 76, 71, 76)
7. Edwin Mudanyi 295 (78, 73, 70, 74)