The top eight Kenyan professionals picked from the ongoing Safari Tour standings and six amateurs from the national series will play in the 2019 Kenya Open Championship, which will make its debut in the European Tour in March.
Tournament director Patrick Obath confirmed that the 14 will land invites to the event which has since 1991 served as a round of the European Challenge Tour.
What this means is that Kenyans will have to contend with fewer Tour slots as compared to 22 pros and five amateurs during the Challenge Tour.
“Automatically, the top eight pros after the final of the Safari Tour and six amateurs who must be playing off scratch or better selected by the Kenya Golf Union and then four by sponsors invitation,” said Obath.
Among those assured of the slots are Safari Tour leader Greg Snow and second-placed Dismas Indiza. The final list of eight pros will be known during the last round of Safari Tour at Karen next month. Obath said the last event will give the local pros a feel of the Karen course which has been re-arranged to Tour standards.
“The course at Karen is going to be played in a different way to allow more room for spectators movement as well as the sitting infrastructure that is going to be set up. The current 13th hole will be the first tee. Players will then play the 14th through the 18th holes, then go back to the 10th, 11th and the 12th for the first nine. They will then cross over to the first tee and play it the normal way,” Obath said.
Meanwhile, Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) has announced Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Tourism as well as the Ministry of Sports, Barclays Bank, Kenya Breweries and Hemingways Hotel as part of the sponsors.
While making the announcement, KOGL chairman, Peter Kanyago, thanked the sponsors for their renewed support of the Kenya Open Championship, noting that the change in sponsors’ categories was necessitated by the improved status of the tournament.
“I note with gratitude that the journey towards the promotion of the tournament to the European Tour could not have been possible without the support accorded to us by our sponsors over the years. And for that, we remain truly gratefu,” said Kanyago.
Speaking at the same event, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala expressed the government’s belief in the potential that the Kenya Open has in growing the country’s tourism.
“I am delighted to announce that the Ministry of Tourism, through the Kenya Tourism Board, will be sponsoring this year’s Kenya Open Golf Championship. Through the sponsorship, we believe the Kenya Open will prominently position Magical Kenya to the global audience through the TV broadcasting opportunities that comes with the new status,” he said.