Wakhu wins Great Rift Safari Tour title

Golf Park’s David Wakhu claimed the third leg of Safari Tour at the par 71 Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha despite bogeying six holes in the final round on Wednesday.

Wakhu blamed slow play by the teams which played ahead of the last group.

“I really wanted an under par final round, but along the way I started putting badly despite having started with a birdie on the first hole which ended up being the only birdie of the round. We had to wait in every hole and that real messed my focus and concentration and my plan to score all under par rounds,’’ said Wakhu who finished on level par in the opening nine after dropping a shot at the fifth hole.

But worse was to come at the back nine where he three putted the 11th, then dafted his tee shot at the par three 12th. After hitting a perfect driver at the par five-14th, he waited for more than 10 minutes and that was followed by an out of bound approach eight iron shot which resulted in a bogey. He then three-putted the par five-17th and missed a birdie narrowly at the 18th for a five over par 76 and a four rounds total of over par 285.

“I am so grateful to my caddie Stephen Gachara and his boss Tom Fraser for their help during the week,’’ added Wakhu who won by three shots from Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge.

The over par score however denied him more cash usually given as under par scores bonus. All the same, Wakhu took home Sh276,667.

On the other hand, Njoroge who was in the last flight with Wakhu shot four over par 75 for a  total of 288, with round one leader Greg Snow of Muthaiga posting 76 for five over par 289.

Youngster Mathew Wahome whose club Nyali is hosting the fourth leg next week, shot one over par 72 for a total of 290. The only under par score of two under 69 was posted by Rwanda’s Aloys Nsabimana which pushed him to ninth place on 293.

“I am happy at least I was able to play well though it came a bit late, but I believe my game is definitely going to improve as we go along,’’ said Nsabimana who is sponsored by Falcon Country Club of Rwanda courtesy of leading amateur golfer in Rwanda, Innocent Rutamu.

It was a bad finish for Malawi’s Paul Chidale as he shot 78 in the final round to drop to tying seventh with senior pro Dismas Indiza on 292.

It was also a bad final round for home pro and defending champion Justus Madoya who after third round’s 69, he picked up a number of bogeys in the final round for a disastrous 83 to drop to 14th place on 298, tying with second leg winner Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe and Golf Park’s Eric Ooko.

The final leaderboard

David Wakhu 69, 70, 70, 76= 285

Samuel Njoroge 70, 74, 69, 75= 288

Greg Snow 66, 73, 74, 76= 289

Mathew Wahome 71, 76, 71, 72= 290

Ganeev Giddie 73, 73, 72, 73= 291

Tafara Mpofu 70, 74, 73, 74= 291

Dismas Indiza 69, 72, 80, 71=292

Paul Chidale (Maw) 70, 75, 69, 78= 292.