Indiza opens healthy lead at Vet Lab

Long-hitting Dismas Indiza broke away from the rest of the field with an impressive two rounds total of six under par, after a fine round of four under par 68 as the 2020/21 Safari Tour third leg entered its halfway mark at the par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course on Monday.

Indiza, who still remembers how he lost to Greg Snow in a play-off at the same venue last season, said he was hitting the ball pretty well from the tees and putted well despite the fact that the pins were not favourable just like in the first round.

“My only bad hole was the par four-10th where I hit on the right trees, tried to come out, but went even further right, and though I finally came onto the green on four, made two putts, to double bogey the hole," said Indiza who had birdied the first and sixth, picked up an eagle at the seventh, then birdied the 12th and 14th at the back nine, to top the leaderboard.

“It's game on now in the last two rounds where I intend to try and stay up by making some more birdies if possible," added Indiza who was six shots clear from hot-charging Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe who shot one under par 71 for a level par 144 going into Tuesday’s third round.

Chinhoi who won the second leg at Royal last week, birdied the sixth and seventh, made a bogey at the ninth, started the back nine well, firing in a birdie at the down-hilly 10th, but dropped two shots at the 12th with one recovery at the 13th for the day’s 71 that put him in second place just a shot better than Greg Snow who posted two under par 70 for one over 145.

Muthaiga-based Snow who won the first leg at Limuru, made a slow start, dropping a shot at the first hole though he quickly recovered it at the second hole. He later birdied the seventh, and the 14th and 15th at the back nine where he however started with a bogey at the 10th.

But what a bad day it was for the home pro Nelson Simwa who was leading on six under par after 11 holes, after making birdies on fifth, seventh, ninth and 10th holes. His problems started at the 11th where he missed a close one for a par, then dropped one more shot at the 13th.

It was however at the 14th hole where he threw away everything after blocking his shot to out of bound, for a quick eight. He never recovered after that as he bogeyed the 15th, 17th and 18th for four over par 76, to drop to fourth place on two over par total of 146.

“I was firing until I picked that eight at the 14th, and my mind just went off. I could not concentrate anymore, which made me drop three more shots thereafter, but I will try and play eight or so under in the remaining two rounds. I am still capable of winning the tournament if I don’t encounter another bad hole tomorrow,’’ said Simwa.

A total of 20 players made the seven over par cut and will now battle it out for the top cash prize of Sh105,000 plus a bonus if the winner will score under par in all rounds.

Meanwhile Golf Park’s Eric Ooko missed the cut by just a shot despite shooting level par 72 in the second round.

The third round gets underway from 7.30am with Simon Ngige and Justus Madoya leading the way while the leader Indiza will be joined by Chinhoi and Greg Snow in the last group at 8.30am.

The leaderboard;

Dismas Indiza 70, 68= 138

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 73, 71= 144

Greg Snow 75, 70= 145

Nelson Simwa 70, 76= 146

Samuel Njoroge 73, 74= 147

Mathew Wahome 77, 71= 148

Isaiah Omwoyo Otuke 75, 73= 148

Paul Chidale(Maw) 73, 75= 148

John Wangai 72, 76= 148.