Ngige slays Rwandan in Sudden Death

Kenya’s Simon Ngige beat Rwanda’s Emmanuel Ruterana in the second hole of a sudden death play-off, to claim the top prize of Sh192,000 in the KCB Rwanda Open at the weekend.

It was the fifth leg of the 2010 KCB East Africa Golf Tour at the par 72 Kigali Golf Club course.

The Thika-based Ngige who won the first leg at his home course in this year’s series, fired the second best round of two under par 70 in the final round for an all rounds total of three over par 291.

Ruterana, on the other hand, fired level par 72 to also wind up with a four rounds total of 291 thus forcing the play off with the on-form Ngige who went on to claim the title at the second hole of the play off, to maintain his lead in the series with a total of 68.5 points.

Coronation Cup

Another local player Jean Baptiste with one under par 71 in the final round, finished third with a total of 292 while Jacob Okello and Njuguna Ngugi tied for the fourth place with 294.

Okello shot 75 and Ngugi fired level par 72 with Second and third round leader Richard Ainley dropping to joint sixth with Anil Shah on 295.

Ainley shot 77 while Shah carded two over par 74. A total of 31 professionals participated in the tournament.

In Nakuru, Thika Sports Club’s Sullivan Muthugia beat Muthaiga’s Collins Omondi by the narrow margin of one shot, to retain the Coronation cup during this year’s tournament at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course during the weekend.

The off scratch Muthugia who is under the sponsorship of Thika based Njuca Consolidated limited, said the course this year was in better condition that it was last year particularly the greens though he attributed his victory on practicing.

Double bogey

“I have been practicing a lot since this year’s Africa Zone Six Championship and that has real improved my game’’ said Muthugia.

During the final round, he picked up one birdie at the front nine and two at the back nine, with a double bogey at the par three-17th and a single one at the 12th for two over par 75 that gave him a 54-hole total of three over par 222.

Last year he won the event with five over par total. On the other hand, Collins Omondi blamed his failure on winning the event due to bad putting.

“I three putted several holes which saw picking three back to back bogeys from the first hole at the front nine and later at the fifth hole for three over par 39. He later bogeyed the 10th but birdied the 12th, 16th and 18th with a bogey at the 17th for two over par 75 and a total of 223 to finish in second place.

Njoro’s Alfred Nandwa came third on 228 after a 75 in the final round.