Kenya Open: Top prize goes to Englishman Dinwidie

Englishman Robert Dinwiddie on Sunday put up a brave fight firing an excellent six under par 65 to claim the 2010 Kenya Open golf title at Muthaiga Golf Club.

Starting the day just two shots behind fellow countryman and overnight leader Oliver Fisher, the birdie-hungry Dinwiddie on Sunday shrugged off a bogey at the the first hole to hit seven birdies including a back to back birdie-finish to take home the top prize of 30,400 Euro (Sh3.1m).

The win took the Englishmanto the top of the 2010 Challenge Tour money list. It was second time lucky for Dinwidie who had failed the claim the first Challenge Tour event in Colombia last month after a 73 during the second round. Dinwiddie's worst round during the week was a one under par 70 in the third round which carried him to the third place going into Sunday’s final round.

He started charging to the top from the third hole where he made his first birdie that was followed by two others at the fourth and fifth, to cross to the back nine on eight under par and on level terms with leader Oliver Fisher.

He however went up to nine after picking up another birdie at the 10th but quickly dropped it at the 11th though remained firm up to the 16th where he holed a two-club that propelled him to his back to back birdie finish for an overall total of 12 under par 272 beating Argentina’s Julio Zapata by three shots.

The South American who started the last round in joint fourth with five others, dropped only one shot at the ninth after picking up two birdies at the front nine followed by a bogey-free back nine with birdies at the 10th, 17th and 18th for a four under par 67 and a total of 275.

Tournament favourite

That left him a shot ahead of tournament favourite Oliver Fisher who shot a colour-less level par 71 that had only two birdies and an equal number of bogeys for 276 to take home the third prize of 13,300 Euro.

Another Englishiman Andrew Marshall, who has tried his luck in the Kenya Open more than 10 times without much success, was on his own in fourth place. He birdied the fifth, 10th, 15th and 18th and dropped shots at the second and 14th for the day’s 69 which gave him a total of 277.

Little known Argentinian Pablo Del Grosso fought his way from 20th place in the morning to tie for fifth place with South Africa’s Jake Roos, Sweden’s Oscar Floren, France’s Jean  Nicolas Billot all of them on six under par 278.

Delgross shot four under par 67 while day one leader Jake Roos fired one under par 70 and Floren and Billot had posted 68 and 70 respectively. Also ending up on the leaderboard on his own from 20th to ninth place was South Africa’s Louis Moolman who fired three under par 68 for 279. Five others tied on four under par 280 .