Indiza melts Snow to win Safari Tour series

The long-hitting Dismas Indiza on Wednesday beat three rounds leader Greg Snow of Muthaiga by one shot to claim his first Safari Tour series title at Karen Country Club after a string of second place finishes.

The Mumias-based Indiza fired three over par 74 in the final round for an all rounds total of three over par 287.

And he was very excited winning at Karen, a course which he is familiar and where he has done better during the previous Kenya Open.

“I am delighted to finally win a leg of the Safari Tour. I have come close several times and it is even very special that I have won it here at Karen, a course that I am very fond of. I hope to take this momentum into the Magical Kenya Open,” said Indiza.

Indiza’s joy came at the expense of overall series winner Greg Snow, who returned an awful 78 after a string bogeys special at the back nine, where he returned seven over par 43.

He hit a triple bogey at 13th after a dropping a shot at the 11th. As if that was not enough, Snow bogeyed the 17th and 18th having made a couple of birdies at the front nine.

Indiza on the other hand, dropped shots at the first and third before recovering with birdies on the fifth, seventh and ninth holes.

The hard hitter did well to hold his nerve through what was a challenging back nine to return two-over par, 38 for the day’s 74.

Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige finished strongly, firing level par 71 for an overall third on 290. But what a day it was for Ugandan pro Philip Kasozi.

He fired an impressive and the lowest round of two under par 69 to jump from 10th to fourth place with an all rounds total of 291, two shots better than the Great Rift Valley Resort’s Justus Madoya and Windsor’s Riz Charania, who tied for the fifth place on 293. Madoya posted two over par 73, same as Charania.

Kenya Amateur Match Play champion Daniel Nduva dropped from joint third in day three to eventually finish in joint eighth with Sigona resident professional John Wangai on 295.

With the 2018/2019 Safari Tour series now over, the focus now shifts to the Magical Kenya Open set for the same venue from March 14 to 17, where the Kenyan pros will have the great opportunity of playing along with some of the world’s leading professional in the Open, which is now part of the European Tour’s “Road to Dubai’’ series.

287 Dismas Indiza 74, 69, 70, 74

288 Greg Snow 69, 71, 70, 78

290 Simon Ngige 71, 73, 75, 71

291 Philip Kasozi(Ug) 76, 74, 72, 69

293 Justus Madoya 70, 76, 73,74

293 Rizwan Charania 73, 71, 73, 76

294 Tony Omuli 72, 73, 74, 75

295 John Wangai 72, 80, 72, 71

295 Daniel Nduva(A) 70, 72, 75, 78

296 Erick Ooko 74, 74, 70, 78