Chinhoi takes second round lead at Nyali Safari Tour

Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi grabbed a narrow one shot lead going into Tuesday’s third round of the fourth leg of 2021/22 Safari Tour Golf series at the par 71 Nyali Golf and Country Club course on Monday.

A winner of the Vet Lab leg of the series, Chinhoi recovered from a bogey finish at the front nine, to post a low three under par at the back following a birdie finish at the par three-18th, after picking up two early birdies at the 11th and 12th and later at the 16th for the day’s three under par 68 and a two rounds total of two under par140.

Enroute to the home green, Chinhoi who said he is in for big things this season had dropped a shot at the 13th in addition to the front nine’s ninth hole.

“Today I started very well unlike in the opening round where I made a number of unnecessary bogeys. I'm hitting the ball pretty well and I am wishing it could rain even more as it makes the course particularly the greens easy to handle,’’ said Chinhoi who will be in the last flight of Simon Ngige and senior pro Dismas Indiza during the third round.

Ngige shot level par 71 to sail through to the last two rounds with one under par 141 after a level par 71.

“I need to work on my shot game in particular chipping which has not been very fine. I take off very well  but my short game some 50 yards from the greens is denying me a low scores, but I am going to work on it’’ said Ngige who birdied the fifth and 11th with only a double bogey coming at the 14th, which denied him a day three lead.

Indiza on the other hand, shot one under par 70 for a two rounds total of level par 142. It was a fine outing for Uganda’s Deo Akope who missed the third leg at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort for failing to register for the tournament before the deadline. He played a bogey-free three under par 68 that included three birdies coming on the back nine’s 11th, 13th and 17th.

“I messed up by picking bogeys in the first five holes during the opening round so I had to fight hard to recover some of the shots at the back nine to finish on four over par. But I am happy today, I had my focus on a good round right from the word go, and thanks to my putting, I was able to play a clean first nine which really encouraged me to play well at the back nine,’’ said Akope after his fine round.

Akope tied for the fourth place with Zimbabwe’s Visitor Mapwanya who shot two under par 69 for one over par 141. He bogeyed three holes though he managed to pick up two birdies in each nine.

“I have been enjoying playing here, though its my first time down but I have prepared well as I came down early enough after playing badly at the Great Rift Valley. I am looking forward for my first win in the Safari Tour,’’ said Mapwanya.

A total of 22 players including junior amateur Taimur Malik made the six over par cut, to proceed to the last two rounds. They also include third leg winner David Wakhu, Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo who holed in one at the 157-yards par three-15th hole.

However, a number of the leading pros in the tour such as Muthaiga’s Greg Snow, Mohit Mediratta from Sigona, Edwin Mudanyi of Vet Lab, Tafara Mpofu of Zimbabwe, Samuel Njoroge of Railway and home pro Mathew Wahome did not survive the second round cut. The third round like the first two rounds, gets under way from 8am with the leaders teeing off from 9:10am.

The Leaderboard

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 72, 68= 140

Simon Ngige 70, 71= 141

Dismas Indiza 72, 70= 142

Deo Akope (Ug) 75, 68= 143

Visitor Mapwanya (Zim) 74, 69= 143

Paul Chidale (Maw) 71, 73= 144

Aloys Nsabimana (Rw) 74, 71= 145

David Wakhu 73, 72- 145

Jacob Okello 72, 73= 145

Tranos Muradzikwa (Zim) 72, 73= 145

Mutahi Kibugu 71, 74= 145

Erick Ooko 70, 75= 145.