Scenic Naivasha hosts Safari Tour sixth leg

Greg Snow

Kenya's Greg Snow lines up a putt during the opening round of the 2020 Tusker Malt Lager Uganda Open at Uganda Golf Club course on December 3, 2020.

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • Golfers resume chase for Magical Kenya Open points after Christmas break.
  • 48 pros and juniors battle it out for honours today.

Action in the Safari Tour golf series resumes with the sixth leg at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort golf course in Naivasha following the Christmas and New Year break.

This comes after the Uganda Open at Kampala Golf Club, where Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi produced his best performance to overpower the hot charging Ugandans.

The first round of the sixth leg of the Safari Tour begins at 9am Wednesday.The tournament has attracted a field of 48 players including amateurs Adel Balala from Nyali Golf and Country Club, youngster Wasim Ali, Carl Wambasi of Vet Lab Sports Club, and home player Simon Njogu.

The pro field will include Ugandans Deo Akope, Philip Kasozi, Abbey Bagalana, Richard Baguma and Willy Kitata. Just like their Kenyan opponets, the Ugandans will be battling it out for some points towards the 2021 Magical Kenya Open to be held at Karen Country Club in March.

During the Malt Uganda Open, Zimbabwe’s Chinhoi beat Uganda’s Akope by 10 shots, thanks to a brilliant five under par 67 in the final round, played on a wet course. The score gave Chinhoi an all rounds total of 15 under par 273 - a rare aggregate at the tough Uganda Golf Club course.

With that kind of a score, Chinhoi, a master of the short game, will definitely be the man to beat at the scenic and beautiful course over the hills of Lake Naivasha.

Akope who shot 69 in the closing round of the Uganda Open, and Kenya’s Samuel Njoroge are likely to offer a strong opposition this week, not forgetting Kenya’s most popular professional Dismas Indiza, who is the defending champion of the Great Rift Valley leg of the Safari Tour.

Though Indiza, a six-time Uganda Open champion came sixth this time round in Kampala with a level par 288, he seems to enjoy the long course at Great Rift and, if still in his usual form, he could be one of the players to watch this week.

Then there is Justus Madoya, who is at home at the Great Rift though his game has not been the best of the last few events including the Uganda Open. He, however, knows the course well and anything is possible with him this week.

The line-up will also include some of the leading pros in the country, David Wakhu, Simon Ngige, John Wangai, Greg Snow, Mathew Wahome, Kopan Timbe and Eric Ooko all of whom would like to do better than during the fifth leg at the Uganda Open in Kampala.