This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
Published on July 1, 2019, the third edition of the KCB Karen Masters saw South African golfer Toto Thimba emerge victorious, claiming the coveted blue jacket.
Thimba, a 33-year-old professional from Mamelodi's Silver Lakes Country Club, pulled ahead of Portuguese golfer Stephen Ferreira with back-to-back birdies on holes 15, 16, and 17, securing a three-stroke win.
Thimba's impressive performance earned him a tournament record of 26 under par 262, while Ferreira finished second with a score of 23 under par 265.
Thimba's win marked his first career victory in the prestigious Sunshine Tour, earning him Ksh. 2.4 million. The victory also made him the first black golfer to win the coveted blue jacket.
Greg Snow, a Kenyan golfer, finished joint seventh with a score of 11 under par 277, while David Wakhu placed second among Kenyan golfers with a score of 6 under par 282.
Thimba expressed his gratitude to the home fans, stating, "Every time I go to play in Africa, I am always treated well by the home fans. I mean, the crowd which has trailed me over the last two days made me feel like I am home. It wasn’t easy fighting with Stephen, but I made it look easy going into the last four holes. I played well, but Steve was quite aggressive. I have had to contend with immense pressure over the last the days but had great attitude this week. The win will definitely open the mighty doors of opportunity in the bigger Tours."
Ferreira, who set a course record of 10 under on the opening day, reflected on his performance, saying, "I have had a great tournament. Shooting 23 under in four days and carding the event’s best round on Thursday is no mean achievement. I had a shaky start on the last round and lost it in the last four holes. Toto has played really well and deserves it at the end of the day."
