Calm tiger Chinhoi focused on Kenya Open honours

Often referred to as the most focused and calm golfer on the local Tour, 29-year-old Robson Chinhoi a native of Harare in Zimbabwe is causing ripples ahead of 2021 Magical Kenya Open scheduled for March 18-21 at Karen Country Club.

Currently, at position 1829 of the Official World Golf rankings, Chinhoi hopes to turn heads at the Magical Kenya Open, a European Tour-sanctioned event with a Euro 1.1million (Sh145,200,000) prize fund.

After claiming Uganda Open 2021 which was part of the Safari Tour event, Royal Nairobi Club and Nyali Country Club legs which saw him amass points, Chinhoi is guaranteed a slot at Magical Kenya Open with only one more Safari Tour series at Karen Country Club scheduled for next week. Chinhoi will join eight Kenyan players, who have so far qualified to play at this year’s Magical Kenya Open.

Twelve slots have been allocated to Kenyan professionals with veteran Dismas Indiza, who finished 2019-2020 season as the overall leader of Road to Magical Kenya Open and Safari Tour order of merit.

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow and David Wakhu are also assured of their slots. New kid on the Professional Golf Association of Kenya (PGK) block Samuel Njoroge from Kenya Railways club will also be in the Magical Kenya Open reckoning.

There is still a bare-knuckled battle for the rest of the slots between Sigona Club’s C.J. Wangai, Riz Charania of Windsor Golf and Country Club and Great Rift Valley Golf Resort and Lodge’s Jastas Madoya.

 “It’s refreshing to win three events on the Safari Tour but that’s not enough. Now I’ve trained my eyes on the main prize God willing we shall perform well. I’ve done my bit but I still need to work on my short game which includes my putting and wedge game,” Chinoi said.

The Zimbabwean contends that he needs to do a lot before the big game in March, “What has kept me going even after executing a bad shot is personal forgiveness. If I play a bad shot I learn from it, correct the same and move on.”

Speaking highly of the Safari Tour, that the entry of new foreign players is an indication of the stature of the event.

 “When I joined Safari Tour we only had four countries participating but so far the number has grown to seven. We now have players from Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria alongside players from host nation Kenyan. The numbers are set to rise.” said Chinoi.