Kenneth Bollo

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Kopan Timbe shot an impressive round of 66 on the par 71 Entebbe Golf Club to emerge the leading Kenyan after 18 holes of the of the Entebbe Open – which is part of the 2019/2020 Safari Tour Golf Series. His decent 5-under par score saw him end the round tied in second alongside Ugandan Silvia Opiyo; setting the stage for a thrilling final three days at the tournament.

He played a bogey-free first nine, holing consecutive birdies at the par-3 sixth and the par-5 seventh to card a total of 33. On the back nine, he dropped a lone shot at the par-3 12^th but birdies at the par-5 11^th and the par-5 15^th, as well as an excellent eagle at the par5 18^th, saw him card an identical 33.

Kenneth Bollo was the second-highest ranked Kenya in fourth with a 2-under par 61 score. His scorecard was a thing of beauty; holing birdies at the 10^th and 12^th and having not dropped a single shot all day. He finished ahead of Great Rift Valley Golf Resort’s Jastas Madoya who ended his round one challenge tied in fifth – alongside Ugandan Herman Mutaawe – at 1-under par 70.

On the first nine, Madoya carded a total of 37 courtesy of a double bogey at the second; and bogeys at the fourth and ninth holes – having made birdie at the first and seventh holes. On the back nine, he made amends with four birdies at the 13^th, 14^th, 15^th and 18^th; and only dropping a shot at the 17^th hole.

The trio of Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Safari Tour winner Tony Omuli, Sigona Golf Club’s C J Wangai and Johnnie-Walker Sponsored Greg Snow all ended the day tied in seventh at level-par 71 scores. The trio finished just ahead of the duo of Jeff Kubwa and David Wakhu who tied in 11^th alongside Ugandan Deo Akope at 1-ober par 72 scores.

Meanwhile, Robson Chinhoi from Zimbabwe emerged overnight leader having carded a round of 64 to go two shots clear of Kopan Timbe going into the second round. On first nine, he played blemish-free, holing birdies at the first, third, seventh, eighth and ninth to card a total of 30. On the back nine, he dropped a lone shot at the 12^th; but holed birdies at the 11^th, 15^th and 18^th for a total of 34.

Action in Round Two of the Entebbe Open resumes tomorrow at 8:00am.

Safari Tour Calendar 2019/20

Event 1 Nyali Golf and Country Club 24th – 28th August 2019 (Winner: Greg Snow)

Event 2 Uganda Open (Lake Victoria Serena) 10th – 14th Sept 2019 (Winner: Madalitso Muthiya)

Event 3 Royal Nairobi Golf Club 12th – 16th October 2019 (Winner: Tony Omuli)

Event 4 Entebbe Open (Entebbe Golf Club) 30th Oct – 2nd Nov 2019

Event 5 Lake Serena Golf Resort Open (Lake Serena Golf Resort) 6th – 9th November 2019

Event 6 Great Rift Valley Golf Club 23rd – 27th November 2019

Event 7 Muthaiga Golf Club 14th – 18th December 2019

Event 8 Thika Greens 4th – 8th January 2020

Event 9 Sigona Golf Club 25th – 29th January 2020

Event 10 Kitante Open (Uganda Golf Club) 12th – 15th February 2020

Event 11 Karen Country Club 22nd -26th February 2020

Event 12 Tanzania Open (Kiligolf) TBC

2019 Magical Kenya Open, Karen Country Club, 12^th – 15^th March 2020.

Windsor’s Riz Charania at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Windsor Golf and Country Club’s Rizwan Charania and Thika Golf Club’s Simon Ngige are joint leaders on the Road to the 2020 Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa ranking with 166.6 points each after three Safari Tour legs.

With last season’s overall winner of the Safari Tour, Greg Snow, not playing at the Royal Nairobi leg due to engagements outside the country, both Charania and Ngige climbed one and two places respectively to the ranking summit ahead of the fourth leg which tees off in a fortnight in Entebbe, Uganda.

Ngige finished tied in third, alongside Mohit Mediratta, at the just-concluded Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg of the 2019-2020 Safari Tour Golf series leg to garner a total of 44 points; while Charania finished tied in fifth, alongside Dismas Indiza and Njuguna Ngugi, amassing 37.6 points.

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Erick Ooko, who fell short of clinching his maiden Safari Tour victory to Golf Park’s Tony Imuli, garnered 48 points to see him climb one place on the ranking to settle in third with a total of 158.5 points.

Johnnie-Walker-sponsored Dismas Indiza, who was the highest ranked Kenyan at the Uganda Open last month amassing maximum Safari Tour points, is currently ranked fourth with a total of 142.6 points. He finds himself one place ahead of fellow Johnnie-Walker-sponsored golfer, Greg Snow, who is in fifth with 135 points.

Sigona’s Mohit Mediratta, who has had a decent outing so far in the Tour, is sixth with a total of 129 points having garnered 44 points from the Royal Nairobi leg of the Tour. Nyali’s Njuguna Ngugi is ranked seventh, just 4.6 points behind Mohit. Meanwhile, winner of the Royal Nairobi leg of the Safari Tour jumped 12 places on the ranking to settle for 13^th place with a total of 64 points.

The Safari Tour Golf Series is used to prepare players for the Kenya open Golf Championship; with its ranking determining the local and regional pros who play at the Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship.

The 2019/2020 Safari Tour is sponsored by Magical Kenya and Absa.

Additional Information:

Safari Tour Calendar 2019/20

Event 1 Nyali Golf and Country Club 24th – 28th August 2019 (DONE)

Event 2 Uganda Open (Lake Victoria Serena) 10th – 14th September 2019 (DONE)

Event 3 Royal Nairobi Golf Club 12th – 16th October 2019 (DONE)

Event 4 Entebbe Open (Entebbe Golf Club) 30th Oct – 2nd Nov 2019

Event 5 Great Rift Valley Golf Club 23rd – 27th November 2019

Event 6 Muthaiga Golf Club 14th – 18th December 2019

Event 7 Thika Greens 4th – 8th January 2020

Event 8 Sigona Golf Club 25th – 29th January 2020

Event 9 Kitante Open (Uganda Golf Club) 12th – 15th February 2020

Event 10 Karen Country Club 22nd -26th February 2020

Event 11 Tanzania Open (Kiligolf) TBC