Safari Tour Star Greg Snow Amazed By January Sports Personality Award

NAIROBI, Kenya- Safari Tour star Greg Snow is ecstatic after he was named the StarTimes/SJAK Sports Personality of the Month of January on Friday, becoming the 19th winner of the award since its inception.

Snow, one of Kenya’s finest pro golfers, racked up the coveted award following a remarkable performance on the Muthaiga leg of Safari Tour golf series where he swept the course with all his opponents.

Snow was voted the Sports Personality of month by a Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) panel after he extended his overall lead on the Road to the 2019 Kenya Open ranking to 95.5 points; having picked up maximum points over the last four Safari Tour events. 

The Muthaiga-based pro beat reigning Dubai Marathon 2019 winner Ruth Chepngetich, Kabras rugby star Philip Wakorach and tennis star Angela Okutoyi who won the ITF Under 16 Nairobi Championship doubles.

Snow played an impressive round of 7-under par in round 3, started the final round in decent form hitting par in the opening two holes before dropping shots at the Par-4 3rd and par-4 9th. He however managed a lone birdie on the first nine at the Par-5 7th for a total of 36.

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He then followed it up with an impressive back nine score of 34, with birdies at the Par-4 14th and Par-5 18th, to return a score of one under par 70 for the round, taking his total to an impressive 13-under par 271.

The duo of Dismas Indiza and Riz Charania were tied for second place. With this score, Snow became the first player in the Safari Tour to return scores of under par in all the four rounds played.

“I am overly excited to lay my hands on an award which has honored some of the best sports personalities in Kenya.

As a golfer I’m indeed flabbergasted when considering the cut throat competition anticipated against the star-studded Kenyan middle and long distance runners. The award is a worthwhile motivation ahead of the 2019 Kenya Open which makes its debut in the European Tour this year,” a cheery Snow underlined.

For his gritty putts and strokes, Snow took home a personalized trophy, a 42Inch StarTimes Digital TV and KShs 100,000 prize money. He becomes the 19th winner of the award since its inception in 2017.

“Some Personalities who are beneficiaries of this award have gone ahead and made it big at global or continental level, such as rally ace Manvir Baryan who went on to clinch the FIA African Rally Championship and Eliud Kipchoge, alongside great sports personalities like Lewis Hamilton and footballer Luka Modric of Croatia.

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“Who knows? Snow might surprise us by winning next month’s Kenya Open or the Sunshine Tour sanctioned KCB Karen Masters in June. We feel honored and duty bound to be part and parcel of an initiative which acknowledges and rewards sports personalities across the country,” StarTimes Kenya Marketing Director Japheth Akhulia said.

Snow joins the growing list of athletes who have won the Startimes award alongside Fatuma Zarika, Eliud Kipchoge, Mary Keitany, Wycliffe Kinyamal, Hellen Obiri, Chess player Sasha Mongeli, Swimmer Maria Brunhelner,Rally driver Manvir Baryan, Beatrice Chepkoech and boxer Judy Waguthi among others.