Local pros are set begin a fresh hunt for Magical Kenya Open slots when the 2020/2021 Safari Tour tees off at Limuru Country Club’s par 72 course on October 4-7.
Dismas Indiza, Rizwan Charania, CJ Wangai, David Opati aka ‘Par 3’ of Windsor, David Wakhu, Eric Ooko both from Golf Park and Muthaiga’s Greg Snow are among leading pros set to grace the start of a series that will kick-start a new points-scoring format in the run up to next year’s Magical Kenya Open.
Kenya Open Golf Limited’s Vincent Wang’ombe said the nine local pros who qualified last year will go into the current Safari Tour with some points advantage.
“As you are all aware, the 2020 Magical Kenya Open was cancelled. So for intents and purposes, we are starting a new season with qualifying scores. We will, however, take 10 per cent of 2018/2019 scores and 20 per cent of the 2019/2020 and 70 per cent of 2020/2021 scores. That way, the guys who qualified last season still have some points going into the new season,” he said.
The Safari Tour has traditionally served as a yardstick to ascertain regional qualifiers for the prestigious European Tour Kenya Open.
Besides qualification, pros will use the event to sharpen up their skills well in time for the big stage next year.
The Magical Kenya Open returned to the emblematic European Tour series for the umpteenth time this year but the event was pushed to 2021 due to Covid-19 related issues.
Organisers KOGL yesterday released a calendar, which presented the first look of 2020/2021 Safari Tour, with a busy month of October programmed to feature four events at Limuru, Vetlab, Sigona and Royal Nairobi.
While announcing resumption of the series, KOGL confirmed the 2020/2021 schedule, which will feature five more events between January and March ahead of the Magical Kenya Open 2021.
During the 2019/2020 Safari Tour, 12 pros including nine Kenyans, one each from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Uganda qualified.
The regional players were Andrew Oche Odoh (Nigeria), Robson Chinhoi (Zimbabwe) and Uganda’s Philip Kasozi. Kenyan brigade had long-hitting Dismas Indiza, Simon Ngige, Greg Snow, Erick Ooko, David Wakhu, John Wangai, Riz Charania, Justus Madoya and Kopan Timbe. The 12 will have to seek fresh slots using the newly introduced scoring format.
Meanwhile, HomeBoyz Entertainment Limited has been confirmed as the Kenya Open Golf Limited event organisers.
KOGL’s Vincent Wang’ombe said HomeBoyz will manage the Kenya Open Golf Championship and all Safari Tour events.
“We would like to welcome HomeBoyz on board. It’s our hope that stakeholders will grant them with the much needed support they may require,” Wang’ombe said.
