2018 Safari Golf Tour:
- Overall winner: David Wakhu (Golf Park) – 284 Gross
- First Runners up: Dismas Indiza (Mumias) – 287 Gross
- Second Runners up: Riz Charania & Eric Ooko – 288 Gross
Professional golfer David Wakhu triumphed at the 2018 Safari tour tournament held at the hot coastal Nyali Golf and country club in Mombasa.
The Golf Park member was in scintillating form, scoring 6-under par 65 during the fourth and final round, climaxing the event three strokes better of second placed Dismas Indiza and win the top prize of $ 1400 (about Shs 5.5M).
Wakhu recovered from a dismissal start when he returned 6-over par 77 during the opening round.
On round two, he was one-over par 72 and one-under par 70 during the third third.
By the third round, he was joint third, seven strokes behind the leader then Dismas Indiza.
The decisive moment came during the closing round.
On hole one, he had an eagle, with three successive pars, a birdie on hole 5.
The grey area in his game on the day was a bogey on the par-4 7th hole, closing up the front nine with a 3-under score.
For the closing back course, he birdied holes 10 and 11, registered five pars on 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16th holes, birdie on 17 and a closing par on the 18th hole for an incredible 65 to equal the Nyali Golf and Country Club Professional record.
As quoted by the Kenya Golf Guide, Wakhu narrated his game plan;
My aim today was to play well and not necessarily win. I started the day too far behind Dismas (Indiza) and my thoughts were not on catching him, they were on bettering my score. This week we have played under excellent tournament conditions and I believe that the Safari Tour will help Kenyan professional golfers prepare for the Kenya Open in 2019.
Runners up Indiza completed the final round with a 4-over par score of 75 for a 287-tournament total.
The long hitting Indiza scored two birdies on the 1st and 11th holes with dropped shots on the 6th, 9th, 15th, 17th and double bogey on the par-4 7th.
Indiza who pocketed about Ug. Shs 3.5M acknowledged it was not his day;
It wasn’t my day, I couldn’t keep my drives on the fairway, I couldn’t hit my mid-irons with precision, it was a tough day. Congratulations to Wakhu for winning, he played very well and deserves the victory.
The duo of Riz Charania and Eric Ooko jointly shared third place with a tournament total of 288 gross apiece and each pocketed Ug.Shs 2.5M.
Meanwhile, the Safari Tour will shift to the Vet Lab Sports Club teeing off on 1st September 2018.
The professional kitty is where the Professionals will compete for another total prize fund of Sh1m.
