Simwa wins Salver despite dropping shots

Overnight leader Boniface Simwa dropped three shots in Sunday’s closing round but still managed to beat both national team captain Francis Kimani and Thika’s Sullivan Muthugia by a shot. He won this year’s Kenya Data Networks sponsored Manchester Salver at the par 71 Eldoret Golf Club course.

He bogeyed the sixth and birdied the ninth hole in the front nine for level par, then bogeyed the first two holes at the back nine, birdied the 13th and 14th but dropped one at the 16th and missed a birdie at the 18th after over shooting the greens n three having drove to the left rough of the par-five hole for the day’s 72 to win his second KDN GOTY title with a total of one under par 141.

Kimani top of GOTY

“I did not play well as I had wanted but I am happy that I still won,’’ said Simwa who won the Teafields Trophy in Kericho three weeks ago. Kimani who fired one under par 70 for 142 beat Muthugia who had also posted 70 on countback to finish second. That means Kimani remains at the top of the GOTY points with 75 points having got six and half for tying with Muthugia while Simwa has 70.5 points.

Meanwhile, taking the first round gross on one under par 70 was Nakuru’s Shileen Nanji and the second round  prize remained at home with Kasi Roberts who fired two under par 69. Claiming the overall nett title with an impressive 137 nett made up of 69 and 68 was Vet Lab’s Robinson Owiti who beat Caleb Kositany (69, 70) by two shots.

The two nett rounds winners were Sanjay Radia of Eldoret on 68 and Sylvester Luhombo with 67. A total of 65 players participated in the 15th leg of the GOTY series whose next event will be the Nyanza Open (Hippo Pot ) on November 21 and 22 at Nyanza Golf Club Kisumu.