Safari Tour heads to Muthaiga for fifth leg

Action resumes in the 2023/24 Safari Tour golf series, with a field of 68 pros expected to tackle the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course from Sunday 7am in the fifth leg of the series.

As usual, hosts Kenya has entered the biggest number of players, 45 in all while Uganda will be represented by 11 players including Lady professional Irene Nakalembe. Other countries fielding players at Muthaiga will be Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Namibia.

During the fourth leg at Limuru Country Club a week ago, Zimbabwe’s Visitor Mapwanya was on course for victory as he embarked on the final round with a six-shot lead until at the back nine where “Mzee wa Kazi’’ Dismas Indiza engaged top gear and produced four birdies at the back nine for a closing round of seven under par 67, to clinch the fourth leg title with an impressive 14 under par.

Mapwanya, who three putted the 11th, 14th and 15th eventually settled for the second place with 13 under.

“I lost it when I started three putting while my friend Indiza was firing in birdies. It’s difficult to beat a score like seven under,’’ said Mapwanya who is still one of the players to watch this coming week, besides the 55 years old Indiza who leads the way in the “Road to Magical Kenya Open’’ campaign.

Since winning the first leg at the Uganda Golf Club Kitante in Kampala late last year, Indiza has maintained his top form though the Muthaiga course has always provided a serious challenge for him.

“I will stay around to make sure that I have enough practice for the remaining two events,’’ said Indiza after receiving his Sh150,000 cheque at Limuru Country Club.

Another player to watch from Sunday, will be home player Greg Snow who tied for third place in the fourth leg with Railway’s Samuel Njoroge on five under par.

A winner of the third leg at Sigona, Snow will definitely use every home course advantage to make sure that he secures his second title in the series.

He is however not the only home player though, as the list includes the two brothers, Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu, as well as well as Nelson Mudanyi and Jeff Kubwa who both missed the cut at Limuru.

Then there is long-hitter Daniel Nduva, Mohit Mediratta, and the four Ugandans Dave Kamulindwa, Ronald Rugumayo, Rodel Gaita and Ibrahim Ainamani who all finished in the money list at Limuru.

The course which is being prepared for the Magical Kenya Open set for February 22, is playing tough at the moment, with an awful rough, thus one has to stay on the fairway and avoid the rough.

At stake for the winner in the Sh1 million prize-fund, courtesy of ABSA Bank, will be Sh150,000.

At least half of the pros had meanwhile been listed to play in the Pro-Am event on Saturday also courtesy of ABSA Bank, and whose round was still on at the time of writing.