• Over 100 junior players will also receive top notch training alongside the tournament through a golf clinic to be conducted by local and international pros.
•The eight local pros will be joined by six local amateurs and two regional players from Africa.
Image: HANDOUT
Eight Kenyans pros will be among the 156 players across the world who will participate in the 2023 Magical Kenya Open (MKO) golf tournament set for par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi on March 9-12.
The eight local pros will be joined by six local amateurs and two regional players from Africa.
Over 100 junior players will also receive top notch training alongside the tournament through a golf clinic to be conducted by local and international pros.
About 15,000 spectators are expected to grace the high profile leg of the European Tour series.
"The event is expected to reach 500 million households across the world. We are grateful that the government and Absa Bank have come on board to support this years contest," said Kenya Open Golf Limited chairman Peter Kanyago.
Meanwhile, Absa Bank Kenya announced a Sh70 million investment as the tournament's Official Presenting Partner.
This is the 12th consecutive year that Absa are partnering with the Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) to sponsor the international tournament, now firmly part of the prestigious DP World Tour.
The 2023 edition is expected to attract an estimated 156 elite golfers from across the world in hunt for the $2 million (about Sh249m) prize purse.
Absa Bank’s interim Managing Director, Yusuf Omari, said: “For us, the MKO presents another unique opportunity to showcase the tenacity and effort by great golfers across the world, including the resilience of our local golfers. At Absa, we refer to this as the Africanacity spirit; that distinct African ability to always find a way to get things done despite all obstacles."
“Over the last 12 years, we have played our role, not only in the growth and elevation of the Kenya Open to world-class standards, but also in demystifying golf as a sport that is loved, appreciated and celebrated by Kenyans from different walks of life and not just the elite," he added.
Kanyago said: “Together with our partners, we have set stage for another thrilling Kenya Open Golf Championships where some of the world’s top golfers will be battling it out for an enhanced prize purse of nearly Sh249 million.
This is the second time that the DP World Tour event will be held at the Muthaiga Golf Club which tags itself as the ‘Home of Golf’.” Absa’s support will go to the KOGL as sponsorship fees, which will enable them to meet their obligations around eventing and prize giving money.
Other amounts will be invested directly by Absa to create memorable moments for our customers and golf enthusiasts and spectators.
“We will use the other part of our investment to amplify the stature of this tournament using various traditional media and digital channels to continue elevating the tournament and to make it bigger and better than last year’s," Omari added.
Over and above the sponsorship kitty through KOGL, part of the bank’s additional support will go towards the local players’ welfare, ensuring they are in good shape and are motivated to compete against other renowned international golfers.
Kenya amateurs for the 2023 MKO are Njoroge Kibugu, John Lejirma, Jay Sandhu, Dennis Maara, Daniel Kiragu and Adel Balala.