Local pro golfers Greg Snow (centre) with Robinson Owiti (left)and Mathew Omondi (right) during a recent Safari Golf Tour action.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) members taking part in the ongoing 2020 Safari Tour series which serves as the qualifier to the Magical Kenya Open European Tour have written to the event organisers on a number of concerns pertaining the ongoing tour.

PGK claim their efforts to be involved in the tour have fallen on deaf ears. A verbal request, by the PGK board, to co-own and co-run the tour at inception is said to have been blatantly rejected.

Among the issues the professional body is seeking to be addressed are prize money, which they are terming low adding that despite initial information that they would be playing for Sh 10 million they are only getting Sh 1 million. The pros are proposing a prize kitty of Sh 3 million for local events and Sh 5 million for those outside the country.

” A prize money of Sh1 million is extremely low and to make matters worse the scoring caveat of -3 or better which constitutes 30 percent of the prize money makes most of the money payable Sh 700,000. This means the logistical expenses are Sh1.5 million per event which is highly unlikely. This prize money is not viable for pros. A player who makes the cut gets as low as Sh 5,000 which is not even close to the money they have put in to play in the tour,” reads the petition in part.

Additionally, the body is proposing a minimum of 15 events per year and the last pro to make cut in any event be paid a minimum of Sh 40,000. Their proposals also add that they should not be required to pay any membership or entry fees for the events.

The body has called for better course preparations and proper markings to make rulings fair, easy and non-controversial.

“Over the last two years of events the course set up has been at times bordering on illegal and done without the consultation or involvement of any PGK member or any Safari Tour player.  The conditions do not even meet the standards of professional play. Proper yardage markings should be done for all courses that are hosting an event,” the letter addressed to the organising committee continues.

The golfers have underscored the importance of player representation at the Safari Tour Sub Committee.

Others issues include professionals and amateurs of NO standing being allowed to compete contrary to earlier agreements, harsh rulings by referees and a tedious registration process for events. The pros also want other PGK sanctioned and run events to count towards Kenya Open qualification.

“Additionally, it has been noted with great concern, and dispite the PGK board pointing out severally, the number of spots available for Kenyan pros to play in the Kenya Open are very few and that no representative from PGK is involved in the negotiation process leading to an unfair allocation for Kenyan Pros. We would like make it very clear that there should be a minimum of 25 Kenyan professionals competing in the Kenya Open,” the letter adds.

Dismas Indiza with the trophy today

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Long hitting Dismas Indiza from Mumias Golf Club, beat Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi by two shots, to claim the third leg of the 2020 Safari Tour golf series at the par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course today.

Indiza who started the day with a five shots lead, carded one over par 73, his second similar score in two days, for an all rounds total of four under par 284, to take home the first cash prize of Sh150,000. He blamed his second shots for his lower aggregate, as well as the tough pin positions on the otherwise well nurtured greens.

“I missed a number of greens because of my second shots, I think because I was a bit tensed, but all the same I am happy beating such a strong field of young and tough professionals’’ said Indiza who got off well, picking up a birdie at the first hole but missed the greens on the third, fifth and sixth and three putted the 17th at the back nine.

“After making my birdie at the first hole I realised the others were making a mistake after another and this kind of gave me the strength to hold onto my lead’’ added Indiza who said his win has given him the confidence to try and play well at Sigona and in Uganda where he said he was going for nothing shot of a win.

“I stared the season badly I think because of having stayed for some times without competition, but now my game is fine’’.

Zimbabwean Chinhoi who won the second leg at Royal Nairobi last week also blamed the pin positions for not playing better than Royal, saying the greens are basically hilly and so when the pins are put on sloppy areas where the ball can stop, it becomes very difficult for one to score well.

“I had very good chance of winning the event if I did not miss many birdie chances, though I lost the tournament at the par three- sixth hole where I made three putts from a position I should not have missed. We come here not just to make money but also enjoy the game but when you put the pins in some crazy places, it real makes the situation rather difficult’’ said Chinhoi who birdied the fourth after dropping a shot at the third hole. He then birdied the 13th and 15th to finish the back nine on two under par and the day’s one under 71 which gave him a total of two under par 286 and a cheque of Sh70,000 having won Sh150,000 at Royal where he won the second leg with an impressive nine under par.