By sportsnewsarena correspondent
Mar 20, 2016
Sebastian Soderberg surged to a maiden European Challenge Tour victory as he won the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open by three shots at Nairobi’s Karen Country Club on Sunday.
The Swede held a three shot advantage overnight and never faltered, his five under par final round of 67 – his fourth round in the 60s this week – putting him on 18 under par overall in front of the watching President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Dismas Indiza and Simon Ngige were the top ranked Kenyans who tied at position 37 on the leader board on 3 under par overall.
Soderberg now takes an early lead in the Road to Oman Rankings after earning 35,200 points and the 25 year old has already fulfilled one of his season aims by winning for the first time. It feels pretty unreal right now,” he said.
“I had the same approach today as the rest of the week and it worked pretty well, though I changed it on 18 a bit and took three wood, just to make sure. “I had a slow front nine but I managed to make a few birdies around the turn and after that I just tried to keep calm and carry on – it was tough, but it feels really good now."
In second place was Frenchman Romain Langasque, playing in his penultimate event as an amateur before he turns professional after competing in next month’s Masters Championship at Augusta.
The 20 year old fired a final round of 65 – breaking Louis Oosthuizen’s course amateur record – and becomes the first player to take advantage of new regulations allowing amateurs to earn Road to Oman Ranking points.
Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer took third place on 14 under par, three shots ahead of compatriot Sebastian Heisele, South African duo Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Dylan Frittelli and Norway’s Espen Kofstad.
