Golf: Orawo stuns 87 golfers at Railways Club

Western Jazz Golf day overall winner Paul Orawo in action at Kenya Railways Golf Club, Nairobi county, February 8, 2020. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Handicap 5, Paul Orawo, claimed the overall prize during Western Jazz Golf day at par 72 Kenya Railways Golf Club course at the weekend.

Orawo, who is a member of Royal Nairobi Golf Club, won the event on an identical score of 19 stableford points from both nines for a total of 38 stableford points.

During the event, which was presented by a group of golfers, The Westerners, with roots from the Western region, saw 87 golfers battle for top honors in the day-long tournament.

Orawo, had a superb round chalking a par on the opener, a par-five. He then birdied the second hole, a par-four and carded two consecutive pars on the third, a par-four and fourth, a par-three.

On the par-four fifth, Orawo landed on the fringe, chipped it two feet short off the pin tapping it in in for birdie and parred the sixth a par-3.

He, however, lost steam on the par-four seventh hole after his tee-shot licked into the unforgiving rough to the left of the fairway from where he overshot the green on his second, before chipping past the pin and ended up two-putting for a six.

He then parred the eighth hole, a par-four to wind up his first-nine with his second double for the day on the par-five ninth for 19 stableford points.

After the midway break, Orawo carded three back-to-back on the par-five 10th, par-four 11th and the par-four 12th.

The Royal Club golfer then bogeyed the next hole, which is a par-three 13th, but redeemed himself with his only birdie from the back nine on the par-four 14th.

He parred the 15th and 16th holes before dropping shots on the par-four 18th and parred the final hole for an additional 19 stableford points to seal victory.

“My round today was great. I was playing well by hitting the fairways to avoid the unforgiving rough. I was great off the deck. My second shots were equally great ,” said Orawo.