Pros chase Kenya Open slots as Safari Tour concludes

What you need to know:

  • This is the event which will decide Kenya’s eight slots in the Magical Kenya Open, now part of the “Race to Dubai’’ European Tour series
  • Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) captain John Wangai said the 44 pros were among those who had confirmed by Friday morning
  • Besides a place in the Kenya Open, a prize of Sh450,000 will be up for grabs at Windsor

It is do or die for Kenya’s professional golfers, as they converge at the par 72 Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club course from Sunday, for the opening round of the 2018/19 Safari Tour sixth and final leg.

This is the event which will decide Kenya’s eight slots in the Magical Kenya Open, now part of the “Race to Dubai’’ European Tour series.

A field of 44 players including nine players from Uganda and four from Tanzania was listed to play, though the final line-up will be known when the first round draw is done on Saturday.

Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) captain John Wangai said the 44 pros were among those who had confirmed by Friday morning.

“We will be able to know the final list when the draw is finally done on Saturday,’’ said Wangai.

The Ugandans who had confirmed their participation are Deo Akope, David Kamulindwa, A. Bagalana, Dennis Anguyo, Willy Kitata, Richard Baguma and Philip Kasozi. The latter is the best ranked Ugandan with a chance of grabbing one of the eight Kenya slots depending on how he plays in the sixth leg.

From Tanzania will be long hitting Nuru Mollel and James Mollel of Arusha Gymkhana Club as well Dar es Salaam Gymkhana duo of Fadhil Nkya and Elisante Lembris. However leading the local challenge will be Muthaiga’s Greg Snow, a winner of three legs who is currently leading the series.

During the fifth leg at his home course, Snow produced so far the best performance in the series, a 13 under par 271, beating his arch-rival Dismas Indiza by a whole 15 shots.

Both Snow and Indiza are already assured of a place in the Open even if they do not win the sixth leg, having accumulated enough points. Snow leads with 95.5 points while Indiza has 92 points.

So far the top eight in ranking after the fifth leg at Muthaiga, are Greg Snow (95.5), Dismas Indiza (92), first leg winner David Wakhu (61.5), Riz Charania (59), Simon Ngige of Thika (57), John Wangai (53), Nelson Simwa of Vet Lab (49) and the Great Rift Valley’s Justus Madoya (47.5).

Golf Park’s Jacob Okello and Nyali’s Njuguna Ngugi are tied in ninth place on 42.5 points while Kasozi is 11th on 39 points. It will be the bottom four players - Ngige, Wangai, Simwa and Madoya - in the top eight who are likely to face stiff competition from those below them, who will be all out to try and push their way into the top eight.

Besides a place in the Kenya Open, a prize of Sh450,000 will be up for grabs at Windsor where action begins with Saturday’s Pro-Am which has attracted a field of 152 players and where Snow is drawn in the afternoon with Kenya Breweries Managing Director Jane Karuku, Steve Mbugua and National Treasury PS Kamau Thugge.

The Windsor course, one of the best golf courses in the country, has been prepared well for the event where the greens are likely to be very quick.