Trio share lead as Nyali Safari Tour gets underway

Simon Ngige

Simon Ngige checks his putting line during the penultimate round of the 2021 Safari Tour seventh leg at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club, Mombasa on January 2, 2021.

Photo credit: Pool | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Leading the three on one under par 70 was Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige who made a birdie at the par five-fifth hole then he bogeyed the par three-fifth hole soon after, to level par the front nine
  • Bollo meanwhile birdied three holes at the front nine but a bogey as early as at the second hole saw him finish on two under at the opening nine
  • With five other players finishing just a shot shy of level par, the second round which will determine the top 20 who will eventually chase the case prizes and some points towards the “Road to Magical Kenya Open”, promises to be close battle

Three players tied at the top of the leaderboard as the fourth leg of the 2021/22 Safari tour season eventually got underway at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa County.

Leading the three on one under par 70 was Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige who made a birdie at the par five-fifth hole then he bogeyed the par three-fifth hole soon after, to level par the front nine. And despite picking up a bogey on the par five-11th and at the 15th, three birdies on the 13th and 14th and a late one at the long par five-17th saw him finish on one under back nine.

Of the other two, Erick Ooko of Golf Park and Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Kenneth Bollo, Ooko three putted the third, birdied the fifth and sixth, at the ninth, but threw away a good chance of finishing at the top on his own with a lower score when he bogeyed the 10th and 12th with only birdie coming at the long par four-16th.

“I missed a number of birdie opportunities because of the tough pin position in some of the holes which made them difficult to approach. I am happy though in finishing the first round on under par score,’’ said Ooko.

Bollo meanwhile, birdied three holes at the front nine but a bogey as early as at the second hole saw him finish on two under at the opening nine. He then parred eight holes at the back nine and one bogey at the wind-against 12th hole.

The three led by one shot from a group of four players who were on level par 71 with one of them, Njuguna Ngugi a former resident professional at Nyali firing a low 33 at the back nine that included birdies at the 13th and 17th, having dropped three shots at the outward nine where he made only a single birdie at the fifth hole, to tie with Malawi’s Paul Chidale, Ronald Rugumayo of Uganda, and Muthaiga’s Mutahi Kibugu.

With five other players finishing just a shot shy of level par, the second round which will determine the top 20 who will eventually chase the case prizes and some points towards the “Road to Magical Kenya Open”, promises to be close battle.

Last week’s winner at Great Rift Valley, David Wakhu was meanwhile not far away from the leading group having shot two over par 73.

The Leaderboard

Simon Ngige 70

Kenneth Bollo 70

Erick Ooko 70

Mutahi Kibugu 71

Ronald Rugumayo (UG) 71

Paul Chidale (Maw) 71

Njuguna Ngugi 71