Indiza leads 12-man team to Kenya Open showpiece

 

Safari Tour 2020/2021 season winner Dismas Indiza hits his approach shot on the par-four second during the final at Karen Country Club, February 24, 2021.[Mose Sammy, Standard

Long-hitting Dismas Indiza will lead 11 other local professionals, including Muthaiga’s Greg Snow and Simon Ngugi of Thika Golf Club, at the Magical Kenya Open and Kenya Savannah Classic, the two European Tour contests.

The events will count towards the European Tour, with the Kenya Open set for March 18 to March 21, while Savannah Classic gets underway on March 23 to March 26.

Indiza and Snow are part of the 12 Kenyans picked from Safari Tour to play in the two European Tour events.

The Kenya Open is being sponsored by the Kenyan government through Magical Kenya, while Savannah Classic is sponsored by the European Tour.

Yesterday Indiza won in the ninth and last round of the 2020/2021 Safari Tour Golf Series at Karen Country Club with 362.0 points.

Indiza qualified first in the Kenyan team, followed by Greg Snow on 322.2 points.

Snow failed to make the cut in the last tournament, but finished second in the final standings.

Simon Ngige qualified third in the Kenya team with 316.5 points, followed by David Wakhu, who is the fourth player. Other players who formed part of the Kenya team are Eric Ooko of Golf Park, CJ Wangai of Sigona and Samuel Njoroge of Railway, who qualified seventh.

Also in the mix are Justus Madoya, Edwin Mudanyi of Vet Lab, Windsor’s Riz Charania, Mathew Omondi and veteran Jacob Okello.

Wausi Walia, Kenya Tourism Board Head of Public Relations and Corporate awards Dismas Indiza winner of the Safari Tour final leg at Karen Country and Golf Club on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Tournament Director Patrick Obath said the two European Tour events would feature 156 players, six of which will be amateurs, 12 Kenyan pros and three from the African region.

All pros qualified through the Safari Tour Golf Series. The Standard Group is the official media sponsor of the Magical Kenya Open.

Meanwhile, Dismas Indiza beat Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi in a sudden death play-off after tying in the three-hole play-off, to clinch the final leg of the nine-events 2021 Safari Tour title at the Karen Country Club course, yesterday.

Before the play-off, Indiza and Chinhoi had tied with a tournament score of 14 under par 270, with the Kenyan having fired five under par 66 in the final round, where Chinhoi shot two under par 69.

For Indiza, it was his birdie at the 17th hole to tie with Chinhoi that brought him back to the hunt for the top prize of Sh375,000. The Zimbabwean parred the hole and at the 18th, for the two to go to the three hole playoff.

Earlier, Indiza had birdied the second, sixth, seventh, 11th and 12th holes. Despite dropping the shot at the 14th, his last birdie (17th) made all the difference.

“I was not really worried about winning or losing this event. My aim was to get the pace for the Magical Kenya Open and after the four rounds, I think I am ready for the Open,” said Indiza after the play-off.

Chinhoi said playing in the Safari Tour had changed his game and that he was also ready for the Magical Kenya Open.

“I am hitting the ball very well, though today’s game was not just an ordinary round. I felt a bit of pressure which is normal in this game, but I am still happy with my performance. I am also happy for Indiza, who is a very experienced player. He played well throughout the week,” said Chinhoi.