Njoroge, Chinhoi joint top ahead of final round in Safari Tour

Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi made four straight birdies at the back nine of the third round to share the lead with Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge on four under par 212, going into Thursday’s final round of the 2020 Safari Tour second leg at the par 72 Royal Nairobi Golf Club course.

What a tremendous recovery it was for the Zimbabwean, who had carried a one over par score from the front nine, where he hit three back to back bogeys from the fifth to the seventh holes, to eventually post a three under par 69, same as Njoroge on Wednesday.

“I made many wrong decisions in the first nine and it almost costed me a good round. I had started well picking up two birdies at the first and second holes, then pushed my tee-shot to the right at the fifth hole, came out well but missed the par," said Chinhoi, who thereafter hit his eight iron to the bunker at the par three-sixth and came out with two to drop his second shot.

He started the back nine with a birdie after a solid driver to about 70m to the green, dropped a shot at the 12th, but made birdies at the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th to push himself to the top of the leader-board and share the lead the new-comer Njoroge, who made a double bogey at the 12th and dropped another shot at the 16th, but had made birdies at the seventh, 10th, 13th and the two par five-14th and 15th for the day’s three under par 69.

“This course is very easy to make birdies if one makes the right decision and be at the right place all the time’," said Chinhoi, who said he will be going for it in the final round.

“Winning here will give me the confidence I need for the season and particularly after missing the first leg at Limuru," added Chinhoi.

Njoroge, whose aim is to win the event after finishing second in Limuru, said the greens were nice and soft after the little rain in the morning.

“I decided to change my attitude and take one shot at a time and that kind of paid well for me," said Njoroge, a young brother of Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK)captain John Wangai, adding that his aim is to play in the European Tour some day.

Wangai, meanwhile made five birdies but against a similar number of bogeys to close day three on level par 72 and in third position on level par 216.

Round two leaders Eric Ooko and Greg Snow dropped to joint fourth with Kenya’s leading junior amateur, Mutahi Kibugu of Muthaiga Golf Club, on one par 217.

Kibugu hit two over par 74 after missing several birdie chance, while Ooko and Snow both posted three over par 75.

“I just could not put today, but I have been on the practicing green trying to get my putts right and ready for tomorrow," said Kibugu, who would like to win next week’s Kenya Amateur Stroke Play at Royal.