•Wanjiru fired a total of five over par 77 to eclipse her closest challenger and Tanzanian Madina Iddi by two shots
•The event served as part of Wanjiru’s preparations for Africa Challenge Tour (ACT) set for Namibia in March.
Kiambu’s Joyce Wanjiru sunk birdies on both nines to emerge the winner of Eldoret Ladies Open.
The event counted towards the second leg of the Golfer of the Year (Goty) which attracted leading golfers.
Wanjiru fired a total of five over par 77 to eclipse her closest challenger and Tanzanian Madina Iddi by two shots. The Tanzanian placed second with seven over par 79 as Vet lab’s Mercy Nyachama wrapped the podium with zest and vigour.
The event served as part of Wanjiru’s preparations for Africa Challenge Tour (ACT) set for Namibia in March. She said she travelled to Eldoret to prove that she is worth a place in the Kenya team.
“I came here to win, nothing much. At the same time, Kenyan ladies wanted to prove ta point o the visiting Tanzanian, who has always beaten them whenever she is invited for the show,” said Wanjiru.
Wanjiru registered back-to-back pars on the opening hole one and two pars 5 and 4, dropped a shot in third and 4th, parred in 5th and recovered with a birdie on 6 par 4. He levelled in seventh before dropping two shots in 8th par 4 and ended the inward nine with a par.
In the outward nine, she started on a high sinking her second birdie in 10th par 4, dropped one in 11th and 12th, parred in 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th as she dropped one in 16 to seal the victory.
However, Tanzanian Iddi won the stableford title on Saturday. The Arusha-based golfer carded a solid 39 stableford points to emerge victorious, edging out home players.
Playing handicap 2, Iddi started on a high note, hitting a birdie in hole one par five, dropped one in the second par 3, recovered with pars on three and four on pars four respectively.
She dropped one five par three, fired a birdie in 6, bogeyed in 7th and levelled in 8 and 9 for 18 points for a total of 21 points to seal her victory away from her home.
In the back nine, she parred in 10th, birdied in 11th and 12th pared in 13 before shooting a birdie in 14 followed with a par in 15th, birdied in 16th dropped one in 17th and concluded with a par.
Muthaiga’s R. Mkok was squeezed into the second position, losing to Madina on count back as Eldoret’s Rosemary Cuthbert completed the podium with a point less. Mildred Natecho and Rhoda Chemayiek recorded 37 and 36 points respectively for 4th and 5th positions.