Robinson Owiti lines his putt on the final day of the Limuru leg of Safari Golf Tour on Wednesday.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Vet Lab Golf Club’s professional golfer Robinson Owiti says he will exploit all avenues to push for his reinstatement following his disqualification from the first leg of the Safari Tour that concluded on Wednesday at the Limuru Golf Club.

After playing four rounds of golf to finish fourth behind Greg Snow, Samuel Njoroge and Riz Charania, a fellow golfer complained about Owiti allegedly using non-conforming clubs which led to his disqualification by the tournament organisres.

“We began this championship on Sunday and up until the final round was played on Wednesday, no one had raised an issue with my equipment. When the issue was raised, just minutes to the prize giving ceremony, I had my equipment inspected and the club in question was neither on the conforming or non-conforming list. The organisers then reached the decision to disqualify me,” explained Owiti.

He added: “I reached out to the local distributor who in turn got in touch with the manufacturer in Scotland and I am awaiting a response from them. I feel that the decision to disqualify me was rushed. If the response from the manufacturer confirms that it was okay for me to use the club, I  will request for reinstatement on the leader board. Otherwise, I am ready to use legal processes to have the series in its totality disqualified. This inspection would have been done on all participants before tee off on Sunday.”

The golfer lost 44 points in the race for next year’s Magical Kenya Open and Sh 52,500 in prize money. Leg winner Snow bagged Sh 105,000 while second and third place carried home Sh 63,000 each.

On his part tournament director Vincent Wang’ombe has disputed Owiti”s claim that it was just one of his clubs that was non-confoming saying their inspection of his clubs found two clubs, including one of his wedges that were not on the R&A list of conforming clubs.

“Local rules, G2, that was in effect during this competition dictate that golfers use clubs in the R&A list. The penalty for going against that rule is disqualification hence the decision. Golf is a self regulating sport and he ought to have checked that his equipment conformed to the set rules before tee off. The decision stands,” said Wang’ombe.

He continued, “He is doing the follow up with the manufacturer all by himself but i do not think that will change anything. The list of R&A approved equipment is available online to everyone. Additionally, these are not new clubs that he was using but have been around for quite some time, probably manufactured ten yuears ago. I doubt the manufacturer will be looking at having them included in the R&A list.”

Greg Snow, Safari tour 2020 opening leg champion at Limuru country club today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow beat debutant and former amateur golfer of the year Samuel Njoroge of Kenya Railway Golf Club and Windsor’s Riz Charania by a single shot, to claim the first leg of this year’s Safari Tour at the par 72 Limuru Country Club course on Wednesday.

It was, however, a struggle for Snow who won five tournaments last season, as he started well, posting an under-par score at the front nine despite having started with a bogey at the first hole, and late bogey at the seventh.

“I played badly particularly at the back nine, I think the long wait for competitions made me a bit rusty. I missed a number of birdie chances including at the 18th where I made three putts. All the same, we are back on the course on Sunday at Royal Nairobi so hopefully I will play better’’ said Snow who birdied the second, fifth and sixth, then came the double bogey six at the par four-10th hole.

Snow who was being followed by his parents at a distance also dropped a shot at the 12th and 13th with only one birdie coming at the 16th, having made an eagle at the par five-15th, to close with a two over par 74 and to win the tournament with all rounds total of one over par 289, a score that earned him Sh105,000.

For the new-comer Njoroge who was making his debut in professional golf, he almost got off to a memorable start. He bogeyed two holes at the front nine (4th, and 7th), but birdied the sixth though it was at the back nine where he managed to pick up three birdies at the 10th, 15th, 17th for a level par 72 and a total of two over par 290 to tie with the more experienced Riz Charania who shot one under par 71 to also wind up on 290. Njoroge and Charania earned Sh63,000 each for their feat.

“I am very excited for finishing second in my first attempt, it gives me more confidence particularly for the coming events. I played well in the final round though I made some few bad putts and I will start working on my putting immediately at Royal because the greens there are likely to be different from Limuru’’ said Njoroge, a young brother of Professional Golfers of Kenya(PGK) captain John Wangai.

Vet Lab Sports Club’s Robinson Owiti meanwhile made a bogey at the 18th green after hitting his second shot to the ninth fairway. Chipped well but the ball rolled over the green. Owiti had dropped a couple of shots before then, for three over par 75 to finish the tournament in fourth place with three over par 291. This golfer has since been disqualified for playing with non- conforming clubs as per the R&A list that regulates the golf sport.

Meanwhile Golf Park’s David Wakhu who also shot three over par 75, for four over par 292, blamed his painful elbow. “Nothing worked well for me today as I was struggling to hit the ball because of the elbow. I will have to get it checked before the next event though I am still happy for a fourth place. The long wait plus carrying our own bags might have contributed in a lot of things this week and the sooner we allowed the use of the caddies the better’’ said Wakhu.

Speaking during the prize giving ceremony, Safari Tour chairman Patrick Obath assured the pros that the issues of the caddies for them is being addressed and hopefully the pros will be allowed to use the caddies in the third leg. “We are truly grateful for the Kenya Golf Union who have been spearheading the health issue guidelines with the Ministry of Health on the COVID- 19 guidelines.

The final leader board at Limuru Country Club:

1. Greg Snow 289 (74,68,73,74)

2. Samuel Njoroge 290 (76,68,74,72)

2. Rizwan Charania 290 (73,72,74,71)

4. Ganeev Giddie 292 (70,71,78,73)

4. David Wakhu 292 (70,74,73,75)

6. Mathew Omondi 293 (72, 72, 72, 77)