Wangai wins KCB-Pro-Am in Thika leg

Charles Wangai at Thika Sports Club on Saturday. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Charles Wangai shot level-par 72 taking his two round total to 5-under-(72+66) 139 for victory in the KCB-Karen Masters Pro-Am Thika leg over the weekend.

Wangai dethroned joint overnight leaders Dismus Indiza and Simon Ngige, who were both tied at 6-under-66 on the opening round of the tournament played at the par 72 Thika Sports Club.

Wangai’s win saw him complete a brace having won the second round of the series at Nyali Golf and Country Club last month.

A field of 36 professional golfers battled it out in the two-day event presented by Kenya Commercial Bank as part of a build-up towards the KCB-Karen Masters to be held at Karen Golf and Country Club in June.

Tied for second place finish were Alfred Nandwa 74+68=142 (-2), Riz Charania 73+69=142, Simon Ngige 66+76=142 and Dismus Indiza 66+76=142.

On the closing round, Wangai, who is also the captain of the Professional Golfers Association of Kenya (PGK), set off on a high with back-to-back birdies from the par-five first and par-four second as well as the par-five ninth, par-four 13th and the par-3 16th.

He sunk pars on the par-three fourth, par-four fifth, par-four seventh, par-four eighth, par-five 10th, par-three 11th, par four 14th, par-five 15th andthe par-four 18th.

He played bogeys on the par-four third, par-three sixth and the par-four 12th, but managed a double-bogey on the stroke index one par-four 17, which seemed to be a nightmare to most of the pros.

“I called it quits on the 17th, which has been a tough nut to crack for most of us throughout this tournament. I hooked my first shot of the deck into the out-of-bounds on the left,” said John Kagiri of Limuru Golf and Country Club.