Nduva wins third leg of Safari Tour at Vipingo

Nyali Golf and Country Club’s Daniel Nduva beat Muthaiga’s Greg Snow in a three-hole play -off at the PGA Baobab Course Vipingo Ridge to claim the third leg of the 2022/2023 Safari Tour Golf Series on Wednesday.

At the close of the fourth round, the two leading pros had tied on two over par 290, with Nduva have birdied the 18th for the day’s three under par 69, while Snow who started the day at the top with Muthaiga’s Mutahi Kibugu and Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo, missed his birdie at the 18th to finish on two under par 70, to tie for the big hitter Nduva.

During the play off, Nduva hit a perfect three iron and an approach shot, birdied the hole against Snow’s par to take an early lead.

The two levelled the par three-17th and against the 18th with bogeys for Nduva to emerge the winner where he took home a cheque of Sh300,000, while Snow earned Sh200,000.

But back to the regulation play, Nduva had birdied the sixth in the front nine and dropped shots on the first and ninth, but birdied the 10th and 11th, 13th and 15th and the 18th with a bogey at the 16th .

On the other hand, Snow played a clean front nine, but started the back nine with a bogey at the 10th, recovered it at the 11th, parred six holes with only a birdie at the 15th.

Speaking after the play off, Nduva said though he did not play well in the first leg in Uganda and missed the cut at Limuru, he was happy winning at Vipingo a course he said was in great shape.

“I know we did not manage to play under par aggregate, but its not because of the course, but ourselves. I enjoyed playing here and I knew I had a great chance of winning despite having been given a one shot penalty during the third round.

I will continue working on my game as we go for the Christmas break in readness for the remaining four events of the tour," said Nduva, who had not won any pro event since turning professional more than a year ago.

“I gave it my best shot and all along I did not bother to know how the others were playing as my focus was to play and under par score. I am happy though having stayed at the top of the leader board right from day to the end," said Snow.

It was not however a good finish for the Ugandan Rugumayo as he shot six over par 78 to drop to joint fifth with Zimbabwe’s Visitor Mapwanya who shot two under par 70 for 298.

But the young Mutahi Kibugu bogeyed couple of holes to finish on two over par 74 to finish third six over par 294 to take home Sh160,000.

Kenya’s top lady golfer Naomi Wafula took the amateur title after four over par 76 and a total of 19 Over par 307 in 13th place.

A total of 25 payers had made the second round cut in the Kenya Open Golf Limited organized tournament.

The leader board

Daniel Nduva 74, 70, 77, 69= 290

Greg Snow 72, 72, 76, 70= 290

Mutahi Kibugu 74, 73, 73, 73= 293

Dismas Indiza 74, 72, 80, 69=295

Visitor Mapwanya (Zim) 81, 74, 73, 70=298