GOLF: Njoroge served with warm Tea Fields title

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

A resilient Samuel Njoroge shot five-over par to clinch Tea Field trophy at the par 71, Kericho Golf Club over the weekend.

Njoroge, playing off handicap +2 and with a final score of (71, 76) 147, was two shots clear off his closest rivals, Limuru Golf & Country Clubs’ John Karichu and Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi as the final round came to a close on Sunday.

Despite intermittent rains that at times threatened play in the two-day event, all golfers finished their rounds.

With the deserved victory, Njoroge picked 60 vital points that will count towards the Kenya Amateur Golf Championships ranking.

Should he win the Sigona Stroke play championship next weekend, he will get a wild card selection to the lucrative 2019 Kenya Open.

Njoroge, who was instrumental in the recent Kenya Railways triumph of the Nairobi District League championships, attributed his performance and victory to focus coupled with a solid short game.

Going into Tea Fields, Njoroge had in his trophy chest Nyanza Open (August) and Karen Challenge in (September) titles while Karichu won the Kabete Open earlier this month.

On the opening Nine, Njoroge carded a par hole one, dropped a shot on the second and third for bogeys before picking back-to-back pars on the fourth and fifth.

He hooked his tee-shot off the deck into the woods, tapped it out before  putting for bogey on the sixth.

He then sank two pars on the seventh and eight holes and dropped a shot on the ninth for bogey.

At the turn, a more relaxed and seemingly focused Njoroge picked three straight pars, but his approach shot was caught on the fringe, which saw him three putt for bogey.

Last five holes turned things in his favour as he played five deserved back-to-back pars to seal his third straight victory.

“I am comfortable with my game at the moment. I had a few challenges after changing my aging Oddsey Versa putter to my new Taylormade Spider tour putter.

"I have mastered it but am working at it," said Njoroge.

Meanwhile, Bernhard Langer became the first player to win four times in his 60s on the Champions Tour when he ran away with the SAS Championship by six strokes on Sunday.

Langer, who turned 61 in August, recorded his 38th victory on the 50-and-over circuit.