Nduva beat Snow in play-off to win Safari Tour title at Vipingo Ridge

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 pros had tied on two over par 290, with Nduva having birdied the 18^th 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 18^th to finish on two under par 70, to tie for the first place with the long hitting Nduva.

During the play off, Nduva hit a perfect three iron and an approach shot,  where he birdied the hole against Snow’s par, to take an early lead. The two levelled the par three- 17^th, and again the halved the 18^th with bogeys, for Nduva to emerge the winner where he took home a cheque of Sh300,000 while Snow earning 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 made birdies at the 10^th and 11^th, 13^th and 15^th and the 18^th with a bogey at the 16^th . On the other hand, Snow played a clean front nine, but started the back nine with a bogey at the 10^th, recovered it at the 11^th, parred six holes with only a birdie at the 15^th.

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 managed 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 readiness 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.

Snow on the other hand said he was happy his round as though he projected a three under par or better, he was able to shoot two under in the last round. “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 0ver par 307 in 13^th place. A total of 25 payers had made the second round cut in the Kenya Open Golf Limited organized tournament which was held at Vipingo Ridge for the time.

The leader board;

1. Daniel Nduva 74, 70, 77, 69= 290
2. Greg Snow 72, 72, 76, 70= 290
3. Mutahi Kibugu 74, 73, 73, 73= 293
4. Dismas Indiza 74, 72, 80, 69=295
5. Visitor Mapwanya (Zim) 81, 74, 73, 70=298
6. Ronald Rugumayo (Ug) 75, 74, 71, 78=298