Impressive Indiza wins Safari tour sixth leg
Dismas Indiza poses with his trophy after winning the sixth leg of the Safari Tour series at Great Rift valley Lodge & Golf Resort, Naivasha on November 27, 2019.
What you need to know:
- Indiza, who took home Sh150,000 from the Sh1 million event sponsored by Magical Kenya and the Absa group formerly Barclays Bank, attributed his victory to the condition of the course
- It was a bad day in office for the Thika based Ngige double-bogeyed two short (third and 15th) having started the final round with a birdie at the short par four-first hole
- Action now shifts to Muthaiga Golf Club for the seventh leg from December 14 to 18 before the series takes the Christmas and New Year break
The long-hitting Dismas Indiza proved that even at 50, he was still the best professional golfer in the country.
The Mumias-based Indiza who started the final round six shots behind round three leader Simon Ngige, fired one under par 70 for a four rounds total of one over par 285, to claim the sixth leg of the Safari Tour golf series at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort Naivasha on Wednesday.
The Johnnie Walker-sponsored Indiza who won the fifth leg, the Pam Golding Safari Open at Lake Victoria Serena Uganda three and half weeks ago, dropped two shots at the opening nine with a birdie at the second, though it was his birdie-birdie finish having earlier birdied the 13th, which saw him beat Ngige by one shot.
Indiza, who took home Sh150,000 from the Sh1 million event sponsored by Magical Kenya and the Absa group formerly Barclays Bank, attributed his victory to the condition of the course. “Since it did not rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, the course was good. It is usually a fairly easy course to score though the pin positions were so tough,’’ said Indiza whose plan is to win a number of events, play the 2020 Magical Kenya Open then try his luck in the European Seniors Tour.
“I would like to give room to our young professionals because I think I have done enough locally and it's time to give a chance to the youngsters,’’ added Indiza.
It was a bad day in office for the Thika based Ngige double-bogeyed two short (third and 15th) having started the final round with a birdie at the short par four-first hole. He held on with one under up to the seventh where he dropped a shot to cross to the back nine on level par.
He dropped two shots at the 12th and 14th before his second double at the 15th for a six over par 77, to wind up with two over par 286 in second place. Nigeria’s Andrew Odoh moved to third place on 288 after an impressive round of three under par 68. Odoh, a member of Safari Tour, had a fantastic nine, firing birdies on the fourth, seventh and eighth with an eagle at the sixth.
He however picked up two bogeys at the back nine’s 13th and 15th with only a birdie at the 14th, earning him the day’s second best round. The best score in the final round, a four under par 67 was posted by Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi who finished fourth overall.
Chinhoi birdied the sixth and ninth in the front nine and at the 10th, 11th and 14th with the only bogey of the day coming on the 15th hole. Home amateur Simon Ngige emerged the best amateur despite shooting six over par 77 in the final round, for a total of 294.
Action now shifts to Muthaiga Golf Club for the seventh leg from December 14 to 18 before the series takes the Christmas and New Year break, resuming with the eighth leg on January 4 to 8 at Thika Greens Golf Resort.
The final leaderboard:
Dismas Indiza 73, 72, 70, 70= 285
Simon Ngige 72, 70, 67, 77= 286
Andrew Odoh (Nig) 72, 71, 77, 68= 288
Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 77, 75, 73, 67= 292
Alfred Nandwa 75, 70, 74, 74= 293
John Wangai 71, 72, 75, 76= 294
Simon Njogu (A) 74, 74, 69, 77= 294
Alloys Nsabimana (Rw) 73, 72, 71, 78= 294
Mohit Mediratta 75, 73, 78, 71= 297.
