Wakhu wins third leg of Safari Tour Golf Series at Great Rift

David Wakhu teeing off during great Rift Valley Lodge Safari tour. October 12, 2021. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Golf Park’s David Wakhu claimed the 2021/22 Safari Tour Golf Series third leg title at the par 71 Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Naivasha yesterday. 

The champion fired four rounds total of one over par 285 to carry the day.

He won the coveted title despite bogeying six holes in the final round  where he blamed slow pace of the game by teams that were ahead of his batch on the fairways.

“I really wanted an under par in the final round, but along the way I started putting badly despite having started
with a birdie on the first hole which ended up being the only one of the round,” said Wakhu.

“Due to the slow pace of the game, we had to wait in every hole and that really messed up my focus and concentration and my plan to score an under.”

Wakhu finished on level par in the opening nine after dropping a shot at the fifth hole.

But worse was to come at the back nine where he three putted the 11th,  then dafted his tee shot at the par
three 12th. He hit a perfect driver at the par five?14th before waiting for more than 10 minutes to carry on with the game due to the slow pace of play. His next out of bound approach eight iron shot resulted in a bogey.  He then three putted the par five?17th and missed a birdie narrowly at the 18th for a five over par 76 and a four
rounds total of one over par 285.

Wakhu won the event by three shots from Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge who came second.

The over par score however denied Wakhu more cash usually given out as an under par scores bonus. All the same, Wakhu took home Sh276, 667. 

On the other hand, Njoroge who was in the last flight with Wakhu, shot four over par 75 for total four rounds of four over par 288, with round one leader Greg Snow of Muthaiga posting 76 for five over par 289.

Youngster Mathew Wahome whose club Nyali is hosting the fourth leg next week, shot one over par 72
for a total of 290. The only under par score of two under 69 was posted by Rwanda’s Aloys Nsabimana which pushed him to ninth place on 293. 

“I am happy at least I was able to play well though it came a bit late, but I believe my game is definitely going to improve as we go along,’’ said Nsabimana.

The Rwandese is sponsored by Falcon Country Club of Rwanda courtesy of leading amateur golfer in Rwanda, Innocent Rutamu.

It was a bad finish for Malawi’s Paul Chidale as he shot 78 in the final round to drop to tying seventh with senior pro Dismas Indiza on 292 apiece.

It was also a bad final round for home pro and defending champion Justus Madoya, who after third round’s 69, picked up a number of bogeys in the final round for a disastrous 83 to drop to 14th place on 298, tying with second leg winner Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe and Golf Park’s Eric Ooko.