Disappointed Indiza comes to terms with missing Senior Tour golf chance

What you need to know:

  • The 50-year-old Indiza said he had received an invitation to play in a Senior Tour event in South Africa as well as other events in the Sunshine Tour

  • Indiza supported the government’s initiative of supporting sportsmen and women in the country a number of who were depending on their various sports to survive

  • Indiza said he will embark on full time training as soon as the conditions are removed

The postponement of this year’s Magical Kenya Open and other international tournaments because of the coronavirus was a big disappointment for Kenya’s top professional golfer Dismas Indiza.

The Mumias-based Indiza, who won the 2019/20 Safari Tour golf series, despite winning only two rounds, said he had prepared well for the Open which was scheduled for March 12 to 15.

“My plan was not only make the second round cut, but go for a top 10 which would have boosted my chances of getting into the European Senior Tour,’’ said Indiza who won the Pam Golding Lake Victoria Serena Open and later on the Great Rift Valley Open at Naivasha.

The 50-year-old Indiza said he had received an invitation to play in a Senior Tour event in South Africa as well as other events in the Sunshine Tour.

“The Safari Tour this time round was very competitive and it made us practice for almost every event because of the presence of some top regional pros from Zambia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa.

“In a way to real helped us a lot, but on the other hand, it was very disappointing that everything had to be postponed because of the coronavirus.

“This was beyond anybody’s control so we can only wait and see how long this thing is going to last,’’ added Indiza.

Dismas Indiza follows the progress of his tee shot from the 7th tee on Day One of the Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship on March 14, 2019 at Karen Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

Speaking to Nation Sport from his home in Mumias, Indiza said he had been doing some light training as the course at Mumias is in very bad shape.

“I managed to clear a bit of the range where I do hit some few balls otherwise, I have been keeping myself busy cutting my canes from my little shamba since there is hardly anything to do here.

“I am praying that this coronavirus will go away soon so that we may be able to resume our usual activities,’’ said Indiza who said he has to travel to Kakamega to play a full round of golf. “There are no people to work on the golf course since all the golfers have since left.”

Indiza and Muthaiga’s Greg Snow played in the 2019/20 Safari Tour under the sponsorship of Johnnie Walker which had offered some incentives for the two pros for a cut in the Open and top 10 finishing.

East African Breweries Limited Marketing and Innovation Director Graham Villiers-Tuthill (centre) with professional golfers with Dismas Indiza (left) and Greg Snow at EABL offices at Ruaraka, Nairobi on January 31, 2020. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT |

Indiza supported the government’s initiative of supporting sportsmen and women in the country a number of who were depending on their various sports to survive.

“I am hoping that the Ministry of Sports will also consider the pro golfers in the country who have been surviving from playing most of whom are now unable to earn anything since even some of the club members whom we have been teaching, are not able to go the golf course because of the measured taken by various clubs.”

Indiza said he will embark on full time training as soon as the conditions are removed.

“We are sportsmen so we have to make sure that we keep fit and ready for any challenge. However, it is difficult for one to tell how long the virus will be contained, hence it is equally difficult to tell if the Magical Kenya Open or even some of the international events will take place this year. My prayer is that even if the Open will not be there this year, we will be able to resume playing in the Safari Tour which whose 2020/2021 was due to start last month.’’

Besides Indiza and Snow, who won a total of five events in the Safari Tour, other players who had qualified for the Magical Kenya Open included Simon Ngige of Thika Sports Club, Erick Ooko of Royal Nairobi, David Wakhu(Golf Park), John Wangai (Sigona), Rizwan Charania, and Justus Madoya of the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort.

Kopan Timbe and Tony Omulli were on the reserve list while the eight qualifiers were to be joined by the regional qualifiers Robson Chinhoi of Zimbabwe and Andrew Oche Odoh of Nigeria.