Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow secured his maiden Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing title after holding off a late charge from the chasing pack to win the Betika Masters at Limuru Country Club yesterday.
Snow entered the final round with a commanding six-shot lead but endured a difficult day on the course, posting a 1-over-par round that significantly trimmed his advantage.
His front nine featured bogeys on the 1st, 4th, 6th and 7th, with birdies on the 2nd and 9th offering brief relief. The pressure continued on the back nine, where he dropped shots on the 10th and 14th before steadying his round with a birdie on the 15th.
The decisive moment came at the par-5 18th, where Snow produced a crucial eagle to close out the tournament on a total of 10-under par 206, securing a hard-fought victory. He earned Sh400,000 for the win.
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Speaking after his win, Snow said: “I had a tough round today but I am glad to have pulled it off. It feels really great to have won my first title on the Tour. When I was tied with Celestin after the first nine, I was telling myself that surely you can’t let this go. I was asking my caddy how the situation was as we went on and he guided me through the second nine. On the 18th I was lucky to hit the fairway after going to the rough, but I tried my best to commit to the shot and finish well.”
Windsor’s Njoroge Kibugu finished second after a spirited final round. Kibugu opened strongly with three quick birdies on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th, but a triple bogey on the 6th wiped out his early gains.
He recovered with a birdie on the 7th to make the turn at 1-under par. On the back nine, he added further birdies on the 11th, 15th and 18th to return a 3-under-par score and finish the tournament at 7-under par 209.
Kibugu said: “I feel really well today because I feel like I hit the ball better than in the previous rounds. I got unfortunate on the 6th where I hit a triple bogey, but overall I am happy with the second-place finish and the fight I showed today, especially after that setback on the 6th. I feel like I did all I could today.”
Kibugu took home Sh214,000.
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera claimed third place.