Golf: Bollo bolts team to Safari tour Victory

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Pro Kenneth Bollo spurred his Pro-Am team to victory over the weekend during the fourth leg of the Safari Tour golf tournament at Thika Greens Golf Resort.

The tournament doubled up as Lady Captain Mary Maingi’s prize.

Bollo, the 2016 Golfer of The Year (Goty) who turned pro early this year, carded a personal score of 35 stableford points, before topping it up with the best scores from combined amateur score of 50 stableford points for a total of 85 stableford points.

Bollo’s team fended off stiff challenge mounted by Thika’s pro Simon Ngige and his squad, who finished second.

Ngige returned to the clubhouse with a score of 37 stableford points before adding combined amateur score of 47 stableford points for a total of 84 stableford points.

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Pro Jeff Kubwa’s team finished third. Jeff carded 32 stableford points with an additional best amateur combined score of 41 stableford points to seal their round with 81 stableford points.

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During the event presented by Kengen, KenyaRe, Safari tour, Madison Insurance, and EABL, among others, saw 130 golfers take part.

The PRO-AM doubled up as a golf clinic, which saw local pros share golf skills with amateur golfers as part of the Safari Tour’s overall objectives.

“At Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL), we started this tour to give our pro’s maximum exposure and with it, we’ve noted so much improvement in their level of play,” KOGL Director said.

“The greatest success of the Safari Tour is the attainment of the objective for which the Tour was set up for; which is to give our local pros an opportunity to practice and play a lot more golf to the standards of the European Tour,” Kathleen Kihanya, KOGL Publicity and Sponsorship Director, said.

“This has given them an opportunity to practice, learn and be resilient. I am thus very confident that we are looking at a Kenyan winning the first Kenya Open which will be part of the European Tour in 2019.”

In the subsidiary members’ event, Vet Lab’s Grace Wanjohi, playing off handicap 26, emerged the overall winner with 37 stableford points while handicap nine Isaiah Nderitu, from Kenya Air Force Golf Club, was second on a score of 37 stableford points.

Nakuru Golf Club’s Mose Sammy, playing off 19, finished third. [Mose Sammy]