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The promotion of Kenya Open from second tier European Challenge Tour to the iconic European Tour as well as Karen Master’s Sunshine Tour debut were no doubt the most significant strides towards the country’s emerging potential in golf.
The European Tour is one of the two biggest professional golf tours in the world alongside the US PGA, meaning the 2019 Kenya Open will join a prestigious list of events including the Joburg’ Open, BMW South Africa Open, Tshwane Open and Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the Trophee Hassan II in Rabat and prestigious events such as the Open Championship, the BMW PGA Championship, Scottish Open and the final event of the European Tour—the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The 51st edition of the Kenya Open is a beneficiary of state funding. Kenya’s European Tour dream came to fruition in 2018 after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the government would double its support to the tune of 2.2 million Euros (around Sh280 million).
Doubling of the prize money means the 2019 Kenya Open will offer a prize fund of 1,000,000 Euros (Sh124.5 million) with the rest of the money being invested in logistics including affiliation fee to the European Tour.
The 2018 prize money was 500,000 euros (Sh62.5 million), where the winner walked away with 80,000 Euros (about Sh10 million).
But the main tour promotion will no doubt see Kenyans contend with a number of teething problems. Sustaining Tour standards will require heavy funding going forward. It may not be business as usual for local pros who were well represented on the Challenge Tour.
Kenya has over the years been allocated 22 slots for pros and 5 off-scratch amateurs but with the high level of competition, locals might not feature in their usual numbers. Other challenges include provision of a proper media centre and improved seating arrangements for spectators, considering next year’s event will attract some of the big names in the world.
Last year’s Kenya Open at Muthaiga offered the biggest prize fund in the Challenge Tour which revolves mainly around Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Far East countries.
Kenya Open 2019 slated for March 14-17 will now attract a higher calibre of professional golfers including the likes of Rory McIlroy, Trevor Immelman, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Ernie Els and Francesco Molinari among other global players who are members of the Tour.
As a member of the European Tour, the Kenya Open will be transmitted live to millions of homes across the world giving Kenya’s golf tourism offering invaluable exposure.
The European Tour Production team will come to Kenya, film and air the Kenya Open across the world. The Kenya Open Golf Limited has been working round the clock to prepare the country for the European Tour.
After securing a European Tour slot last season, KOGL introduced the all-new Safari Tour as a prelude (for Kenyan pros) to the Kenya Open, ostensibly to offer local pros the requisite exposure.
The Safari Tour has a prize kitty of Sh1 million per event with each leg featuring a Pro-AM event, where host club members are given the opportunity to play alongside the top local professionals.
KOGL publicity and sponsorship director, Kathleen Kihanya said: “The greatest success of the Safari Tour is the attainment of the objective for which the Tour was set up for; which is to give our local pros an opportunity to practice and play a lot more golf to the standards of the European Tour. This has given them an opportunity to practice, learn and be resilient. I am thus very confident we are looking forward to a Kenyan winning the first Kenya Open which will be part of the European Tour in 2019.”
The Kenya Open returns to Karen Country Club after a two-year hiatus with Muthaiga having hosted thew last two editions.
Meanwhile, Kenyan professional didn’t perform too well in 2018 with the Kenya Open title proving elusive for the umpteenth time. Only two professionals (Rizwan Charania and Mohit Mediratta) made cuts after the first two rounds with the biggest chunk falling by the wayside.
Although Dismas Indiza has not been very outstanding this season, winning the Uganda Open attested to his vast experience on the course. Indiza finished the Kenya Open on a disappointing gross total of 7 over par 150 to kiss the event goodbye.
Italian Lorenzo Gagli vanquished Swede Jens Fahrbring in a nerve-raking three-way play-off on hole 13 to emerge the winner of 2018 Barclays Kenya Open Championship at the Par 71 Muthaiga course.
In what will perhaps go down in history as one of the most dramatic editions, Gagli and Fahrbring parred the hole twice before an enthusiastic crowd which included His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta and National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga.
Both players were tied on 11 under 273 after 18 holes and were compelled to break the deadlock in a dramatic sudden death which treated hundreds of spectators to exhilarating displays.
Lorenzo had his campaign for the coveted title effectively sewn up in the third play off when Fahrbring excruciatingly sunk the ball into the dam to bogey on his third attempt. In winning the historic 50th edition, Gagli became the inaugural winner of the tournament’s jacket and the winner of the lucrative Sh11.5 million.
David Wakhu of Golf Park won the opening round of the Safari Tour at Nyali Golf and Country Club while Snow won two rounds of the local tour which culminates into the Kenya open. On the amateur front, Samuel Njoroge of Railway Nairobi Club was the most outstanding. Njoroge won the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (formerly Goty) after winning the season closing round at Nyali and went on to win the Lagos Open.
The 23-year-old Njoroge also won the Tea Fields Trophy in Kericho,Hippo Pot -Nyanza Open and the Kenya Amateur Stroke Play. In winning the Kenya Amateur Open Stroke play championship, on-form Njoroge booked a ticket to the 2019 Kenya Open.
The KAGC season also saw Daniel Nduva of Nyali clinch Uhuru Shield, which is Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s round. Former Kenya team captain Robinson Owiti won the 2018 Railway Invitational at Railway Club while Edwin Mudanyi won the 2018 Manchester Salver with 2 under. Mudanyi also won the Mount Kenya Championship hosted on par 72 Nyeri Golf Club.
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