Kenya will once again grab the global limelight when it hosts 156 players for this year’s Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship from Thursday for four days at the par-71 Muthaiga Golf Club. This marks the third year that Magical Kenya Open will feature on the European Tour calendar, which is titled as the DP World Tour.
At stake is a prize kitty of $2 million (Sh254 million) and also points towards the DP World Tour Dubai Grand Finale slated from November 19-22 this year.
Kenya’s eight professionals and six amateurs will take on the world’s best professional golfers—including China’s Ashun Wu, who lifted the title last year by four strokes. But although the touring field looks strong, local players must put their best swing and putt forward for good results. The last two editions, which were held as European Tour, have not been favourable to local players—just like the previous years, when Kenya Open was still an European Challenge Tour event.
Only one local pro, Samuel Chege, made the cut in 2021. He would finish 77th and last in the pool that made the cut. Last year, no local pro made the cut but an amateur, Njoroge Kibugi, did to finish 64th out of 75 players who made the cut.
It goes without saying that the regional Safari Tour—which had five events, starting in November with Uganda Open and ending with Muthaiga Open last month—gave local players good airtime. But five events where local golfers play among themselves aren’t enough if they are to match their superior rivals, who feature in over 40 events yearly. Kibugi was actually helped by his playing in more quality events in South Africa.
Nevertheless, a good game plan devoid of pressure on whom they are facing can yield good results with more local players making the cut in the premier gold tournament.
