Safari Tour series: Indiza falls to Zimbabwean Chinhoi

Zimbabwe’s leading professional Robson Chinhoi celebrates his win in the seventh leg of the 2021/2022 Safari Tour series at the par 72 Karen Country Club course on Wednesday. [Mike Kihaki, Standard]

Zimbabwe’s leading professional Robson Chinhoi beat Kenya’s most known professional Dismas Indiza in a three-hole playoff, to claim the seventh leg of the 2021/2022 Safari Tour series at the par 72 Karen Country Club course on Wednesday.

At the end of regulation play, the two leading pros had tied on a total of 12 under par 276.

Indiza, the only player in the tournament to play under par in all the four rounds, missed birdie chances in the first two holes of the play off (10th, 11th, then at the 12th, he had a chance to level with the Zimbabwean, but missed the putt for a par, to lose to Chinhoi with a par.

“I am very happy to have made it to the top. I didn’t think I would manage to go beyond fourth place’’ said Indiza who shot two under par 70 in the final round, to catch up with Chinhoi on 12 under par. 

The Zimbabwean had dropped a couple of shots in the final round, to finish on one over par 76. He won Sh 274, 211 while Indza because of his under par scores, took home a total of Sh191,579.

Indiza also leads in the “Road to Magical Kenya Open’’ with a cumulative 324 points while Chinhoi leads the regional players with 311.

Zimbazwe’s  Mapwanya and Uganda’s Deo Akope went neck to neck for the second slot having scored 118 and 116 points.

Meanwhile Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige who had led in the first round, dropped to third place on 277 after a level par 72 in the closing round where he was a shot better than Mapwanya who carded four over par 76 to wind up in fourth place on 278.

Action now switches to the home of golf Muthaiga Golf Club this coming Sunday where the par 71 course which is also hosting the Magical Kenya Open, will stage the eighth leg in the series.

The final leader board:

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 69, 67, 67, 73 = 276*

Dismas Indiza 70, 68, 68, 70 = 276

Simon Ngige 66, 66, 73, 72 = 277

Visitor Mapwanya(Zim) 68, 64, 70, 76 = 278

Greg Snow 74, 69, 70, 70 = 283

Nyasha Muyambo (Zim) 72, 69, 69, 73 = 283

Sunday Olapade(Nig) 71, 67, 73, 74 = 285

Sydney Wemba(Zam) 68, 70, 70, 77 = 285